McElroy,  Isaac  Stuart. 

Some  pioneer  Presbyterian 
preachers  of  the  Piedmont  North 
Carolina 


Div.Sch. 

BX 

8947 

.N8 
M3 
1928 


DUKE 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 


GZ^t  o& 


The  Stuart  C.  Henry 
Collection  of  American 
Christianity 


Pioneer  Presbyterian 
Preachers 

OF  THE 

PIEDMONT  NORTH  CAROLINA 


jyj 


rev.  i.  s.  Mcelroy,  d.  d. 


SOME 

Pioneer  Presbyterian 
Preachers 

OF  THE 

Piedmont  North  Carolina 


REV.  I.  S.  McELROY,  D.  D. 


LOFTIN  a  CO..  Printers 
Gastonia.  N.  C. 


FOREWORD 


The  Presbytery  of  Kings  Mountain,  realizing  the  impor- 
tance of  securing  and  preserving  the  history  of  the  beginnings 
of  churches  and  church  movements,  and  also  the  danger  that 
facts  may  be  forgotten  and  historic  material  lost  with  the  pass- 
ing o{  the  years,  did  include  among  the  permanent  committees 
provided  for  in  its  Manual,  adopted  October  29,  1924,  a  Com- 
mittee on  History. 

This  committee,  through  its  chairman,  Rev.  J.  K.  Hall, 
prepared  a  program  for  the  celebration  of  the  twenty-fifth  an- 
niversary of  the  organization  of  Kings  Mountain  Presbytery, 
which  was  approved,  and  the  program,  including  a  historic  ad- 
dress by  the  Rev.  I.  S.  McElroy,  D.  D.,  was  carried  out  at  the 
September  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  in  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Lincolnton,  where  the  organization  had  been  effect- 
ed twenty-five  years  before. 

The  following  action  was  taken  by  the  Presbytery: 

A  special  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  T.  G.  Tate, 
Rev.  J.  K.  Hall,  J.  H.  Kennedy  and  A.  C.  Jones,  was  appointed 
to  arrange  for  the  financing  and  publication  of  the  paper  of 
Rev.  I.  S.  McElroy. 

At  a  call  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  March  12,  1928,  in 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Gastonia,  N.  C,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  receiving  and  taking  action  on  the  report  of  this  com- 
mittee, the  Presbytery  unanimously  ordered  the  printing  of  the 
address  of  Dr.  McElroy. 

T.  G.  TATE 
J.  K.  HALL 
J.  H.  KENNEDY 
A.  C.  JONES 

Committee 


Some  Pioneer  Presbyterian  Preachers 

of  {he 

Piedmont  North  Carolina 


The  task  assigned  to  me  by  Presbytery  is  alarmingly  large  even 
with  its  limitations.  It  is  limited  geographically  to  the  five  coun- 
ties known  as  Gaston,  Cleveland,  Lincoln,  Rutherford  and  Polk, 
North  Carolina.  It  is  limited  in  time,  chiefly,  to  the  19th  century, 
with  a  few  years  of  overlap  at  each  extremity  of  this  boundary. 

To  be  exact  it  begins  with  August,  1768,  when  the  Rev.  Daniel 
Thacher  organized  the  church  of  "Little  Brittain"  in  connection 
with  the  Presbytery  of  Hanover  and  which  claims  to  be  the  second 
Presbyterian  church  organized  in  the  territory  now  included  in  the 
state  of  North  Carolina,  and  it  ends  with  November  18,  1902,  when 
at  Lincolnton,  N.  C,  the  Presbytery  of  Kings  Mountain  was  or- 
ganized and  included  all  the  ministers  and  churches  within  the 
above  named  five  counties. 

It  is  limited  also  to  some,  or  rather  to  a  few  of  the  Pioneer  Pres- 
byterian preachers  of  this  part  of  the  Piedmont,  and  this  limitation 
has  been  determined  solely  by  my  inability  to  secure  information 
about  other  noble  men  whom  we  hold  in  highest  honor  and  whose 
memories  we  would  celebrate. 

The  only  other  limitation  is  in  the  patience  of  my  audience.  It 
would  be  a  titanic  task  to  realize  the  conditions  under  which  these 
faithful  servants  of  our  Lord  labored  so  diligently  and  laid  so 
securely  the  foundations  for  the  present  prosperity  of  Kings  Moun- 
tain Presbytery,  and  yet  in  order  that  we  may  appreciate  their 
courage,  consecration  and  self-sacrificing  devotion,  we  must  recall  in 
some  small  measure  these  conditions  as  they  prevailed  in  these 
parts  during  the  nineteenth  century. 

PIONEER  CONDITIONS 

There  were  no  towns  and  only  a  few  villages  at  long  intervals; 
no  communication  by  radio,  or  telephone,  or  telegraph,  or  by  letter 


6  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

oftener  than  once  a  week;  no  railroad  nor  highway,  but  footpaths 
and  bridlepaths  and  roads  with  dust  for  summer  and  mud  for  win- 
ter and  gulleys  every  season  and  almost  all  the  way.  When  the 
stage  coach  was  first  introduced  and  the  hill  proved  too  steep  and 
the  mud  too  deep  for  the  strength  of  the  horses,  it  was  the  rule  of 
the  road  announced  by  the  driver,  "First  class  set  still,  second  class 
out  and  walk,  third  class  out  and  push."  All  travel  at  the  first  was 
by  foot  or  horseback,  and  then  by  wagon  and  later  came  the 
buggy  and  the  coach. 

There  were  no  lumber  yards  and  few  saw  mills  at  long  intervals 
but  the  houses  were  made  of  hewed  logs  and  wooden  nails,  and 
lighted  not,  by  electricity  or  by  oil  lamps  or  sperm  candles  but  by 
pine  knots  and  later  by  tallow  dips. 

Church  buildings  were  made  of  hewed  logs  generally  30  by  24 
feet  with  a  shed  at  the  other  end  from  the  pulpit  where  the  slaves 
could  sit  and  through  an  opening  made  in  the  wall  by  the  removal 
of  two  or  three  logs  they  could  see  and  hear  the  preacher.  The 
precentor  would  stand  just  below  and  in  front  of  the  pulpit  and 
read  two  lines  of  the  hymn  and  start  the  singing  for  the  congre- 
gation to  follow,  and  then  another  two  lines  until  the  whole  hymn 
had  been  sung,  sometimes  ten  verses. 

Books  and  papers  were  exceedingly  rare  and  the  schools  were 
few  and  of  a  very  inferior  order.  The  public  school  system  did 
not  get  a  start  in  these  parts  until  after  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  and  when  that  century  closed  they  had  made  no 
great  improvements. 

The  moral  and  religious  conditions  were  not  altogether  out  of 
harmony  with  the  other  conditions  of  life  in  this  section  of  the 
country  at  that  time.  Drunkenness  and  duelling  and  personal  and 
political  quarreling  and  fighting  were  all  too  common  among  the 
men,  and  especially  at  log  rollings,  and  corn  huskings,  and  muster 
gatherings  and  elections.  Their  indifference  to  the  claims  of  God, 
His  worship  and  work,  the  salvation  of  their  own  souls  and  of  their 
fellowmen  was  lamentable,  and  the  sorest  of  all  the  trials  of  our 
pioneer  preachers. 

I  have  been  unable  to  get  material  for  more  than  ten  of  these 
men. 

THE  SCOTCH-IRISH 

Forasmuch  as  these  pioneer  preachers  are  almost  without  ex- 
ception of  Scotch-Irish  lineage  it  may  be  well  to  refresh  our  mem- 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  7 

ories  as  to  the  meaning  of  that  hyphenated  word.  It  does  not 
mean,  as  many  seem  to  think,  a  people  whose  peculiarities  are  due 
to  the  intermarriage  of  their  ancestors,  a  cross  of  Scotch  with  the 
Irish.     There  is  no  Irish  blood  in  the  Scotch-Irish  people. 

They  are  pure  Scots  who  were  induced  by  James  the  First  to 
emigrate  from  the  Stathclyde  to  North  Ireland  after  a  series  of  re- 
bellions had  been  put  down,  and  the  Earls  of  Tyrone  and  Tyrcon- 
nell  had  been  conquered  and  fled  and  their  estates  escheated  to  the 
English  crown. 

These  Scotch  emigrants  did  not  intermarry  with  their  Irish 
neighbors  but  between  these  two  peoples  there  was  and  is  today, 
due  to  several  causes,  an  attitude  of  antagonism  that  makes  inter- 
marriage, with  rare  exceptions,  an  impossibility. 

Their  peculiar  environment  and  experiences,  as  alien  emigrants 
in  a  conquered  and  confiscated  country,  with  hostile  natives  watch- 
ing for  opportunity  to  do  them  harm;  a  war  wasted,  desolated  and 
largely  deserted  land,  as  uninviting  as  a  desert,  that  had  to  be  con- 
verted from  deep  tangled  wildwoods,  and  malarial  marshes,  and 
rocky  hillsides,  and  thorngrown  valleys  into  fertile  fields  of  flax, 
and  grain,  and  rich  pasture  lands; — these  furnished  some  of  the  in- 
fluences that  developed  those  fine  traits  of  character  so  prominent 
in  the  Scotch-Irish  people. 

Small  colonies  of  English  Puritans  and  French  Huguenots  that 
King  James  had  settled  among  these  Scotch  emigrants  doubtless 
contributed  something  over  there  and  much  more  over  here  toward 
making  and  developing  the  Scotch-Irish  character,  but  these  con- 
tributions were  exceedingly  small  in  comparison  with  the  influences 
of  their  peculiar  environment  and  experiences.  By  these  they 
were  Providentially  prepared  for  the  important  part  thy  were  to 
perform  in  the  settlement  and  development  of  this  continent.  To 
no  other  class  of  early  settlers  are  we  more  indebted  for  our  great 
Republic  than  to  these  Scotch-Irish  folks  who  came  in  so  large 
numbers  from  North  Ireland  to  America  during  the  eighteenth 
century. 

They  are  related  to  the  Scotch  of  Scotland  somewhat  as  the  im- 
proved breed  is  related  to  the  original  stock. 


Rev*  Robert  Archibald 


We  have  no  historic  or  traditional  information  as  to  the  parent- 
age or  place  of  birth  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Archibald.  His  first  ap- 
pearance is  in  the  graduation  class  of  Princeton  College,  June, 
1772.  He  studied  medicine  but  did  not  practice.  He  was  granted 
license  to  preach  the  gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  Orange  in  the 
fall  of  1775  and  three  years  later,  October  7th,  1778,  he  was  or- 
dained and  installed  pastor  of  the  Rocky  River  Church,  succeeding 
the  Rev.  Hezekiah  Balch. 

He  seems  to  have  been  the  second  pastor  of  this  ancient  and  fa- 
mous church.  Between  the  years  of  his  licensure  and  his  ordina- 
tion he  lived  about  a  mile  west  from  Belmont  and  preached  at 
Goshen  and  possibly  at  other  points.  He  was  the  first  or  more 
probably  the  second  resident  Presbyterian  minister  in  the  territory 
now  included  in  the  Kings  Mountain  Presbytery. 

About  the  same  time  that  he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor 
of  Rocky  River  Church  he  became  pastor  also  of  the  Poplar  Tent 
Church.  This  church  was  located  eight  miles  from  Concord  as  you 
go  toward  Davidson.  It  received  its  name  from  the  presence  of 
several  splendid  poplar  trees  under  which  was  erected  a  pulpit 
platform — called  a  "Tent" — and  from  which  the  gospel  was 
preached  in  the  open  air  until  a  house  was  built  for  the  worship  of 
God. 

While  pastor  here  Mr.  Archibald  conducted  a  classical  school 
that  was  largely  attended  and  that  did  good  service  for  the  church 
and  the  state.  Some  of  the  prominent  men  of  the  first  half  of  the 
19th  century,  including  the  Rev.  Humphrey  Hunter,  could  say:  "I 
went  to  school  there." 

Mr.  Archibald  was  a  scholar  and  a  man  of  gifts,  but  lacking  in 
clearness  of  conviction  and  fixedness  of  purpose.  He  first  thought 
of  practicing  medicine,  then  he  entered  the  ministry  as  a  Calvin- 
ist,  then  drifted  into  Arminianism  and  finally  became  a  Universal- 
ist  or  rather  a  Restorationist. 

And  yet  he  could  be  persistent  and  even  stubborn  in  carrying  out 
his  own  wishes.    While  pastor  at  Poplar  Tent     he     wanted    the 


OF  THE  PIEDMONT  NORTH  CAROLINA  9 

church  to  use  Watts  Psalms  instead  of  "The  Psalms  of  David  in 
Metre,"  which  had  been  in  use  for  years  in  spite  of  poor  rhyme 
and  worse  metre.  The  congregation  was  divided,  but  the  larger 
part  were  against  the  change  proposed  by  the  preacher. 

Mrs.  Alexander  says:  "When  Mr.  Archibald  saw  there  was  no 
hope  of  getting  Watts  Psalms  introduced  into  public  worship  peace- 
fully, he  went  up  into  the  pulpit  and  told  them  he  was  determined 
to  have  them  (Watts  Version  of  the  Psalms)  made  use  of  for  all 
time  to  come;  and  he  did  so.  And  at  times  when  these  psalms 
were  sung;  some  would  go  out  of  hearing,  and  some  others  left  the 
Tent  (the  church)  and  went  and  joined  other  churches  that  de- 
spised Watts  Psalms." 

This  discussion  about  psalmody  was  not  confined  to  Poplar  Tent, 
nor  was  it  as  short  in  its  life  and  as  weak  in  its  influence  as  its 
small  importance  would  lead  one  to  expect.  It  resulted  in  a  sepa- 
ration that  remains  unsettled  to  this  day.  Those  who  favored 
Watts  version  of  the  Psalms  held  their  connection  with  the  Synod 
of  Philadelphia  that  later  grew  into  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  America.  The  other  party  organized 
themselves  into  a  presbytery  and  were  called  Associates  or  Seced- 
ers.  The  only  difference  then  and  now  is  this  question  of  Psalmody, 
not  what  version  of  the  Psalms  should  be  used,  but  should  the  ser- 
vice of  song  be  confined  to  the  Psalms. 

October,  1794,  the  Synod  ordered  the  Presbytery  of  Orange  to 
proceed  to  deal  with  the  Rev.  Robert  Archibald  for  his  heretical 
doctrines.  This  they  did  and  Mr.  Archibald  was  suspended  from 
the  ministry  and  all  churches  were  warned  against  him  and  his 
false  and  dangerous  teachings.  What  these  were  will  appear  from 
a  short  conversation  he  is  said  to  have  had  with  a  lady  in  South 
Carolina  shortly  after  his  suspension.  She  said:  "D'ya  think  some 
folk  will  gae  to  hell  for  a  time  and  then  come  out  again."  "Yes, 
that's  what  I  think."  "And  do  ya  expect  to  gae  there  yerself  ? 
"Yes.  "And  how  long  do  ya  expect  to  stay  there,"  "About  fif- 
teen years.  "Ya'd  be  a  pretty  singed  devil  to  come  out,  after  being 
in  so  long." 

Mr.  Archibald  preached  where  he  could  get  a  hearing  and  it  may 
be  that  the  little  Universalist  church  in  Fairfield  county,  South 
Carolina,  was  the  result  of  his  ministry. 


Rev,  Humphrey  Hunter 

1755-1827 


The  Rev.  Humphrey  Hunter  was  born  in  Ulster  Ireland  near 
Londerry  on  the  14th  day  of  May,  1755.  His  paternal  grandmother 
was  a  Scotch  lassie  from  Glasgow,  and  his  maternal  grandmother 
was  a  Huguenot  girl  from  Erest  in  France.  His  father  died  when 
he  was  less  than  four  years  of  age  and  his  widowed  mother  a  few 
months  later  took  passage  with  her  four  year  old  son  on  the  Helena 
bound  for  the  Port  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  where  they  arrived  August 
27th,  1759,  safe  and  sound,  after  sailing  the  Atlantic  for  three  and 
a  half  months.     Why  so  long  is  not  explained. 

Their  journey  by  land  from  Charleston  to  the  congregation  of 
the  Poplar  Tent  Presbyterian  Church,  N.  C,  was  much  shorter 
and  more  satisfactory.  Here  the  widow  Hunter  purchased  a  farm 
on  which  she  spent  the  remaining  years  of  her  life,  and  reared  her 
son  after  the  good  old  Scotch-Irish  fashion. 

There  is  no  record  of  the  sayings  and  doings  of  Humphrey  Hun- 
ter until  that  memorable  meeting  in  Charlotte  on  the  20th  day  of 
May,  1775.  He  was  present  as  spectator  and  heard  and  saw  most  of 
the  most  important  things  that  were  said  and  done  in  that  great 
Convention.  He  carried  home  with  him  a  copy  of  the  Mecklenburg 
Declaration,  and  preserved  it  religiously  through  the  years. 

When  he  was  23  years  of  age  he  decided  to  leave  the  farm  and 
secure  a  classical  education.  With  this  purpose  he  entered  the 
Clio  Nursery  under  the  Rev.  James  Hall,  October,  1789,  and  re- 
mained one  year.  While  here  "he  was  admitted  to  the  sacrament 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  Bethany  congregation." 

After  a  short  expedition  as  Lieut,  under  Capt.  Robert  Mayhem 
against  the  Cherokee  Indians  he  entered  Queens  Museum  in  Char- 
lotte, but  his  stay  here  was  only  for  a  few  months,  for  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1780  the  school  that  had  taken  the  name  of  Liberty  Hall 
Academy  was  broken  up  by  the  Fall  of  Charleston  and  the  march 
of  Lord  Cornwallis  toward  Charlotte. 

Young  Hunter  entered  the  army  as  Lieut,  under  Capt.  Thomas 
Givens,  witnessed  the  slaughter  of  Gates  army  and  the  death  of 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  11 

Baron  De  Kalb  at  Camden,  was  a  prisoner  at  Orange,  S.  C,  es- 
caped by  night  and  returned  home  with  a  good  name  for  character 
and  courage,  and  in  time  to  celebrate  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis 
at  Yorktown. 

The  following  four  years  were  spent  under  the  instruction  of 
the  Rev.  Robert  Archibald  in  his  school  at  Poplar  Tent,  and  then 
two  years  in  Mt.  Zion  College,  at  Winsborough,  S.  C,  from  which 
he  graduated  July,  1787.  Then  followed  two  years  of  theological 
study  under  the  Presbytery  of  S.  C.  by  which  Presbytery  he  was 
granted  license  to  preach  the  gospel,  October  15th,  1789. 

His  first  charge  was  as  pastor  of  the  Hopewell  and  the  Aimwell 
churches  in  S.  C.  The  salary  was  fixed  at  $533.33  1-3  for  all  his 
time.  He  served  them  for  six  years.  In  the  fall  of  1795  he  re- 
moved to  Lincoln  County  N.  C.  and  accepted  a  pastoral  call  to  the 
Goshen  and  the  Unity  churches,  without  any  apparent  increase  in 
salary.  These  two  congregations  embraced  all  the  county  on  the 
west  side  from  the  Catawba  river  above  Beattie's  Ford  to  the 
South  Carolina  line,  and  west  from  the  river  to  the  large  congre- 
gation of  the  Olney  Church,  which  was  at  that  time  flourishing 
and  extending  over  a  large  section  of  country  south  west  from  the 
court  house.  He  remained  in  charge  of  this  field  for  nine  years, 
until  1804. 

In  1805  Mr.  Hunter  accepted  a  call  to  the  Steele  Creek  Church 
and  also  served  the  Hopewell  church.  This  was  his  last  and  long- 
est charge,  continuing  from  1805  to  1827.  He  fell  on  sleep  Au- 
gust 21,  1827,  and  his  monument  may  be  found  at  the  head  of  his 
grave  near  the  session  room  in  the  burial  ground  of  the  Steele 
Creek  Presbyterian  Church.  The  monument  was  erected  by  the 
people  of  this  church.  On  it  they  say  of  Mr.  Hunter:  "For  nearly 
38  years  he  labored  as  a  faithful  and  assiduous  Ambassador  of 
Christ,  strenuously  enforcing  the  necessity  of  repentance,  and 
pointing  out  the  terms  of  Salvation.  As  a  Parent  he  was  kind  and 
affectionate,  as  a  friend  warm  and  sincere;  and  as  a  minister  per- 
suasive and  convincing." 

This  testimony  is  doubtless  true  and  without  any  exaggeration. 
Mr.  Hunter  was  gifted  with  a  strong,  well  balanced  mind  which  he 
trained  by  diligent  study.  "In  his  advanced  years  his  infirmities 
very  much  contracted  his  active  labors  but  without  impairing  the 
vigor  and  discrimination  of  his  mental  powers  or  the  fervency  and 
faithfulness  of  his  preaching." 

He  possessed  in  a  high  degree  a  talent  for  refined  sarcasm,  a 
powerful  but  dangerous  gift,  and  his  answer  to  triflers  was  an 


12  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

arrow  that  pierced  to  the  marrow.  But  such  was  his  kindness  of 
heart,  his  tact,  his  sense  of  the  proprieties  and  his  desire  to  win 
a  friend  for  Christ  rather  than  to  humiliate  an  opponent  that  this 
dangerous  gift  was  used  only  for  the  glory  of  his  Lord  and  Maker. 

He  was  a  close  observer  of  men  and  things,  logical  and  practical 
in  his  reasoning  processes,  diligent  and  prayerful  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  his  sermons  and  faithful  in  the  oversight  of  his  flock  who 
were  thoroughly  instructed  in  sound  doctrine. 

He  was  above  six  feet  in  height,  of  stalwart  structure  and  im- 
posing bearing.  His  eyes  were  bright  and  piercing,  sometimes 
even  stern  and  subduing,  always  revealing  the  character  of  a 
strong,  tender  and  consecrated  minister  of  Christ. 

He  was  simple  in  his  manners  without  the  least  affectation;  sin- 
cere in  his  friendships,  frank  and  generous  in  his  dealings  with 
men;  "while  the  evil  feared  him,  good  men  loved  him,  and  as  they 
knew  him  better  they  only  loved  him  the  more." 


Rev-  Robert  Hall  Morrison,  D,  D, 

1798-1889 


Robert  Hall  Morrison  was  the  son  of  William  Morrison,  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionary  War,  a  farmer  and  a  miller  in  the  Rocky  River 
District  of  Mecklenburg  County.  He  was  a  grandson  of  the  Robert 
Morrison  who  with  his  brothers  John  and  James  came  to  America 
from  Scotland  in  1750.  His  mother  was  Abigail  McEwen.  He  was 
born  in  the  Rocky  River  Congregation  September  8,  1798,  and  died 
on  his  farm  in  Lincoln  County,  N.  C,  May  13,  1889,  in  the  91st 
year  of  a  most  active  and  useful  life.  When  19  years  of  age  he 
graduated  from  the  University  of  N.  C,  dividing  honors  with 
James  K.  Polk,  afterward  President  of  the  United  States. 

He  studied  Theology  under  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Robinson,  and  then 
took  a  course  in  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  the  nearest  in- 
stitution of  that  kind  within  his  reach.  As  there  were  no  rail- 
roads, nor  other  public  conveyance  by  which  he  could  travel  to 
Princeton,  he  put  his  wardrobe  and  his  library  in  his  saddle  pockets 
and  rode  horseback  to  his  destination.  There  he  sold  his  horse 
and  used  the  money  received  to  defray  his  expenses  while  pursuing 
his  studies. 

He  was  ordained  to  the  Gospel  Ministry  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Concord  in  1820  and  installed  pastor  of  the  Providence  Church,  in 
Mecklenburg  County.  After  two  years  of  successful  ministry  in 
his  first  charge  and  five  years  as  pastor  of  the  Fayetteville  Church 
he  accepted  the  call  from  the  Sugar  Creek  congregation  and  re- 
mained with  them  until  he  accepted  the  call  to  the  Presidency  of 
Davidson  College.  During  this  period  he  organized  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Charlotte,  with  38  members,  and  for  six 
years  served  it  one-third  of  his  time  and  until  the  congregation 
wanted  a  full  time  pastor. 

Dr.  Morrison's  most  notable  work  was  in  connection  with  the 
founding  of  Davidson  College.  The  University  of  N.  C.  was  es- 
tablished January,  1795.  The  Western  College  was  launched  in 
1820  near  Lincolnton,  and  after  a  precarious  existence  of  a  few 
years  was  dissolved.     It  had  its  origin  in  the  desire  for  a  college 


14  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

nearer  than  Chapel  Hill  and  also  for  one  that  would  be  more 
useful  in  supplying  the  church  with  young  men  for  the  ministry. 
This  idea  of  a  college  to  promote  Christian  education  and  prepare 
young  men  for  the  ministry  and  that  should  be  under  the  control 
of  the  Church  was  deeply  rooted  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the 
members  of  Concord  Presbytery  and  especially  of  Dr.  Morrison. 

It  was  at  the  meeting  of  Concord  Presbytery  at  Prospect  Church 
March,  1825,  that  Dr.  Morrison  introduced  a  resolution  that  was 
adopted  by  a  unanimous  vote  committing  the  Presbytery  to  the 
establishment  of  a  "Manual  Labor  School"  for  the  "education  of 
young  men  preparatory  to  the  Gospel  ministry." 

Dr.  Morrison  was  elected  chairman  of  the  committee  of  eight  to 
select  a  site  for  the  proposed  school.  He  and  Rev.  P.  J.  Sparrow 
were  appointed  agents  to  secure  funds  for  the  school,  which  they 
did  to  the  amount  of  $30,390.00.  As  chairman  of  the  committee  ap- 
pointed for  the  purpose,  Dr.  Morrison  presented  to  Presbytery  the 
following  "Statement  of  principles  to  regulate  the  contemplated 
school": 

"The  Institution  shall  be  under  the  direction  and  control  of 
Concord  Presbytery.  The  great  and  leading  object  shall  be  the 
education  of  young  men  for  the  gospel  ministry  and  the  extending 
of  the  means  of  education  more  generally  among  all  classes  of  the 
community. 

"Its  privileges  shall  be  accessible  to  persons  of  all  denomina- 
tions of  good  moral  character. 

"The  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  shall  contain 
the  supreme  rule  of  control  in  the  regulation  of  this  institution. 

"For  the  promotion  of  health  and  to  diminish  the  expenses  of 
education,  all  the  students  of  this  institution  shall  be  required  to 
perform  manual  labor,  agricultural  or  mechanical,  in  the  manner 
and  to  the  extent  deemed  proper  and  necessary  by  its  directors. 

"This  institution  is  designed  to  afford  the  competent  means  for 
the  acquisition  of  an  accomplished  classical  education." 

DAVIDSON  COLLEGE 

Davidson  College  was  opened  for  students  March  1,  1837,  with 
three  professors,  including  Dr.  Morrison,  the  first  President.  The 
roll  of  students  contained  the  names  of  75  young  men.  The  salary 
of  the  President  was  $1200  and  a  house,  the  same  house  in  which 
President  Martin  now  lives.  The  tuitions  were  for  the  languages 
$15.  per  session  and  for  English  $10.  Board  was  $6  per  month. 
The  site  was  on  a  tract  of  469  acres  of  land  purchased  from  Wil- 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  15 

liam  Lee  Davidson  at  a  cost  of  $1521.  The  school  was  named 
Davidson  College  "as  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  that  distinguished 
and  excellent  man,  General  William  Davidson,  who  in  ardor  of 
patriotism,  fearlessly  contending  for  the  liberty  of  his  country,  fell 
(universally  lamented)  in  the  battle  of  Cowand  Ford." 

After  three  years  of  efficient  and  successful  labors  as  President 
of  Davidson  College  Dr.  Morrison  resigned  on  account  of  his  health 
and  his  resignation  was  accepted  with  great  reluctance  and  only 
because  his  health  made  it  necessary.  He  removed  his  family  to 
his  farm  in  Lincoln  County  in  1840  where  for  49  years  his  life  and 
labors  and  influence  were  spent  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  up- 
building of  his  kingdom  in  what  is  now  a  part  of  the  territory  of 
Kings  Mountain  Presbytery.  For  30  years  he  preached  to  the 
Unity  Church  and  during  that  time  the  church  of  Castanea  Grove, 
and  the  Church  of  Macphelah  were  organized.  They  were  served  by 
him  until  the  weight  of  the  years  made  the  work  of  the  pastorate  a 
burden  too  great  for  his  strength.  Although  he  was  now  an  old 
man  he  ceased  not  his  labors  for  the  Lord  but  was  busy  in  the 
distribution  of  tracts  and  good  books  and  especially  of  'Bibles.  He 
loved  the  Bible  devotedly  and  left  a  legacy  to  the  American  Bible 
Society  after  he  had  made  his  children  life  members.  He  was  a 
life  director. 

Dr.  Morrison  did  a  great  work  for  the  church  not  only  in  the 
pastorate  and  in  promoting  education  under  church  control,  but 
also  in  the  rearing  and  training  of  a  Christian  family  from  which 
have  gone  out  streams  of  influence  that  make  glad  the  City  of  our 
God.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Graham,  on  the  27th  day  of 
April,  1824,  at  Vesuvius  Furnace,  Lincoln  County,  in  the  ancestral 
home  of  her  father,  General  Joseph  Graham  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  Mrs.  Morrison  seems  to  have  possessed  in  a  marked  degree 
those  virtues  that  King  Lemuel  saw  in  his  mother  and  of  which 
he  has  sung  so  sweetly,  in  the  last  chapter  of  Proverbs. 

There  were  twelve  children  in  this  family  and  every  one  was  a 
praise  to  their  parents  and  a  blessing  to  the  church  and  the  country. 
Two  were  carried  to  the  Father's  House  in  the  early  morning  of 
childhood  after  they  had  fulfilled  a  blessed  ministry.  Of  the  other 
ten  I  am  sorely  tempted  to  speak  in  particular  as  a  reminder  of 
the  possibilities  for  service  parents  possess  in  the  rearing  of  their 
children  in  the  fear  and  love  of  the  Lord — but  time  forbids.  For 
the  most  of  my  hearers  nothing  more  is  needed  than  the  mention 
of  their  names:  Isabella,  who  married  General  Daniel  H.  Hill,  C.S. 
A.;  Mary  Anne,  who  married  General  Thomas  J.  Jackson  (Stone- 


16  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

wall)  C.S.A.;  Eugenia,  who  married  General  Rufus  Barringer,  C.S. 
A.;  Susan,  who  married  Major  Alphonso  Avery,  C.S. A.;  Harriet, 
who  married  Mr.  James  P.  Irwin;  Major  William  M.  Morrison, 
C.S. A.;  Joseph  Graham  Morrison,  Aid  to  "Stonewall"  Jackson,  C.S. 
A.;  Robert  Hall  Morrison,  aid  to  General  D.  H.  Hill,  C.S. A. 

Rev.  Alfred  James  Morrison,  "the  Benjamin  of  the  family,  a 
gifted  youth,  on  whom  the  mantle  of  his  honored  father  seemed 
to  fall,  and  rest,  being  called  of  God  into  the  ministry  of  Jesus 
Christ,  proclaimed  the  Gospel  with  a  power,  a  fervor  and  a  suc- 
cess that  seemed  but  an  earnest  of  still  greater  blessings  to  the 
church"  when  after  a  short  and  very  fruitful  ministry  at  Franklin, 
N.  C.|  and  Selma,  Ala.,  he  was  called  to  his  Eternal  Reward. 

This  sketch  would  be  unpardonably  incomplete  if  I  did  not  call 
attention  to  the  service  rendered  to  the  Machpelah  Church  by 
Joseph  Graham  Morrison,  the  eighth  son  of  Dr.  Morrison,  so  long 
the  pastor  of  this  church.  I  quote  from  a  tribute  by  his  pastor 
who  said:  "Surely  a  life  has  been  spent  in  a  great  mission,  when  it 
can  be  said  of  one,  that  at  all  times  he  considered  the  claims  of  his 
fellow  men  upon  him.  When  we  consider  the  little  church  of  Mach- 
pelah, so  long  served  by  his  honored  father,  Rev.  Robert  Hall  Mor- 
rison, her  loss  is  well  nigh  irreparable.  About  five  years  ago  an 
effort  was  made  to  reorganize  this  little  old  church,  and  Captain 
Morrison  and  his  family  came  to  the  rescue,  moving  their  mem- 
bership from  Castanea  Grove  Church.  Here  he  found  a  wide 
sphere  of  usefulness,  serving  the  church  as  elder,  and  taking  the 
lead  in  all  matters  of  interest  to  the  group  of  four  churches.  He 
was  a  most  valuable  and  loyal  friend  to  those  called  to  minister  to 
the  church  over  which  he  had  been  an  overseer." 

Those  who  knew  intimately  the  Rev.  Robert  Hall  Morrison,  are 
unanimous  in  according  to  him  a  place  in  the  front  rank  of  those 
truly  great  men,  whose  services  to  the  Church  of  God  and  to  our 
Commonwealth,  entitle  them  to  be  held  in  everlasting  and  grateful 
remembrance. 

"He  is  remembered  as  a  genuine  pulpit  orator.  His  style  was 
easy,  animated,  earnest  and  pathetic."  "He  was  a  pleasant,  im- 
pressive, and  successful  teacher."  "His  ministry  was  a  ministry 
of  Power."  "His  fine  native  gifts,  dignified  manners,  strong, 
practical  mind  united  to  form  a  magnetic  personality."  "His 
scholarly  attainments,  his  chaste  and  elegant  diction,  his  dignified 
mein,  his  impressive  delivery,  his  heart  on  fire  with  the  love  of 
soul,  captivated  his  hearers  and  made  his  ministry  a  ministry  of 
power." 

He  rests  from  his  labors  but  his  works  do  follow  him. 


Rev,  John  Joseph  Kennedy 

1838-4912 


The  Rev.  John  Joseph  Kennedy  was  born  of  Scotch-Irish  parents 
in  the  bounds  of  the  Sharon  Church  in  the  county  of  Mecklenburg, 
N.  C,  March  3,  1838.  His  childhood  was  spent  mid  the  blessings 
of  a  pious  home  with  the  peculiar  privileges  and  experiences  of  a 
North  Carolina  farmer  boy,  until  he  was  sent  to  Davidson  College 
where  he  graduated  in  1859. 

He  was  taken  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Mecklenburg 
as  a  candidate  for  the  Gospel  Ministry  and  sent  to  the  Columbia, 
S.  C,  Theological  Seminary,  from  which  institution  he  was  grad- 
uated in  the  spring  of  1864. 

These  were  the  times  that  tried  men's  hearts  in  our  Southland. 
Mr.  Kennedy  served  irregularly  as  chaplain  for  the  Confederate 
forces  as  occasion  would  permit  and  as  supply  for  the  Olney  church 
until  1868,  when  he  accepted  a  call  to  become  the  pastor  of  the 
New  Hope  and  Long  Creek  churches.  He  was  ordained  and  in- 
stalled pastor  of  these  two  churches  by  a  commission  of  Mecklen- 
burg Presbytery,  June  13,  1868.  This  was  a  most  pleasant  and 
profitable  pastorate  of  14  years  for  New  Hope  and  of  17  years  for 
Long  Creek.  During  this  pastorate  Mr.  Kennedy  was  a  real  home 
mission  evangelist,  at  his  own  charges,  giving  his  sabbath  after- 
noons and  evenings  to  preaching  the  gospel  to  mission  points  and 
to  weak  churches  like  Goshen,  Dallas,  and  Mallard  Creek. 

This  was  a  hard  work  that  taxed  his  loyalty  to  the  Christ  and  his 
powers  of  endurance,  for  the  rides  on  horseback  were  long  and 
through  all  kinds  of  weather  and  over  mud  roads  that  were  some- 
times almost  impassible,  but  he  stood  the  test,  for  he  loved  his 
Lord  and  his  work.  The  last  three  years  of  his  pastorate  of  the 
Long  Creek  church  Mr.  Kennedy  supplied  the  young  church  of 
Gastonia  which  was  organized  about  this  time,  and  to  which  he 
evidently  gave  a  "good  send  off,"  considering  the  progress  it  af- 
terward made  and  the  splendid  proportions  to  which  it  has  now 
attained. 

In  1884  he  was  called  back  to  Olney  church  and  served  them  for 


18  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

a  second  series  of  years  until  1889,  when  he  resigned  to  become 
the  pastor  of  the  Paw  Creek  Church  which  he  served  for  three 
years. 

In  1892  he  took  charge  of  a  group  of  Churches  consisting  of 
Machpelah,  Unity,  and  Castanea.  He  served  this  people  with  the 
same  fidelity  and  success  that  had  marked  his  previous  ministry 
until  his  health  failed  and  he  was  forced  to  live  a  more  quiet  and 
less  active  life. 

With  his  failing  health  he  suffered  from  a  serious  impairment 
of  his  eyesight  due  to  glaucoma  brought  on  by  a  severe  attack  of 
la  grippe  which  settled  in  his  eyes. 

In  1898  he  gave  up  this  group,  his  last  regular  work,  and  re- 
moved to  Gastonia,  where  he  resided  until  his  departure  to  be  with 
Christ,  which  was  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  July,  1912.  On  account 
of  the  frail  condition  of  his  health  he  gave  up  regular  pastoral 
work,  but  as  he  himself  expressed  it,  he  always  stood  ready  to 
serve  where  Providence  directed.  During  this  time  his  services 
were  always  in  demand  as  preacher  wherever  there  was  an 
empty  pulpit.  And  up  until  the  time  when  his  physical  condition 
forbade  Mr.  Kennedy  always  responded  to  the  call  for  service.  To 
the  ministers  of  Gastonia  of  every  denomination  Mr.  Kennedy  was 
always  extremely  dear  and  his  memory  will  always  be  held  in 
reverence. 

The  hardships  endured  by  Mr.  Kennedy  during  the  early  years 
of  his  long  and  useful  ministry  were  largely  responsible  for  the 
suffering  that  marked  his  last  years.  He  rode  horseback  through 
inclement  weather  over  roads  often  almost  impassible  and  carried 
his  wardrobe  and  his  library  in  his  saddle  pockets.  Overcoats  were 
not  common  in  those  days  nor  cheap  and  so  Mr.  Kennedy  used  in- 
stead a  large  long  wool  blanket,  like  those  of  which  we  have  heard 
our  fathers  speak.  When  the  weather  was  unusually  rough  he 
probably  also  wore  "leggins"  made  of  tough  soft  cloth  two  by 
three  feet  and  wrapped  around  each  leg  from  the  ankle  up  and 
fastened  to  the  trousers  with  large  pins,  and  a  broad  string. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  difficulties  and  disadvantages,  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy was  never  known  to  miss  an  appointment,  nor  to  begin  a 
service  later  than  the  appointed  hour.  If  nobody  was  present  but 
himself  and  the  sexton  he  would  begin  on  time  even  if  he  himself 
was  the  sexton. 

In  February,  1912,  Mr.  Kennedy  was  stricken  with  sciatica  in 
the   leg  brought   on  by  a  malignant  tumor  above   his   hip   joint. 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  19 

During  all  the  following  months  he  suffered  intensely  but  never  a 
murmur  or  complaint  escaped  his  lips.  With  that  humble  forti- 
tude and  strength  of  character  and  faith  in  the  goodness  of  the 
Lord  so  characteristic  of  him  he  endured  the  pain  and  waited  the 
approaching  end  with  great  satisfaction. 

His  beloved  wife,  Nancy  Jane  Holland,  had  been  called  into  the 
Higher  Service  eight  years  before,  as  had  also  four  of  their  six 
children,  but  a  devoted  son  and  daughter  and  the  grand  children 
and  a  host  of  friends  ministered  tenderly  to  his  wants  and  re- 
lieved as  far  as  possible  his  acute  sufferings. 

Appropriate  funeral  services  were  held  in  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Gastonia,  conducted  by  the  Rev.  W.  E.  Mcllwaine,  as- 
sisted by  Revs.  R.  C.  Anderson,  R.  A.  Miller,  G.  A.  Sparrow,  G.  L. 
Cook,  W.  R.  Minter,  and  J.  C.  Galloway.  Revs.  G.  A.  Sparrow  and 
R.  A.  Miller,  who  knew  the  deceased  most  intimately,  had  lived  and 
labored  with  him  in  the  same  church  and  Presbytery  for  twenty 
years  or  more,  spoke  touchingly  of  Mr.  Kennedy's  life  and  char- 
acter and  ministry.  They  both  laid  emphasis  on  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Kennedy  preached  the  gospel  not  so  much  from  a  sense  of  duty  as 
from  pure  love  of  his  Lord  and  his  work. 

"Life  is  divine  when  duty  is  a  joy." 


Rev.  Robert  Zenas  Johnston 

1834-1908 


Robert  Zenas  Johnston  was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage,  as  were  al- 
most all  of  the  best  of  the  people  who  settled  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  Valley  of  Virginia  and  the  Piedmont  of  the  Carolinas. 

He  was  born  near  what  is  now  the  town  of  Woodleaf  in  Rowan 
County,  North  Carolina,  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  December,  1834. 

His  parents,  Rufus  D.  and  Alcy  Graham  Johnston,  were  faithful 
and  highly  esteemed  members  of  the  Third  Creek  Presbyterian 
Church.  They  commanded  their  children  and  their  household  after 
them  to  keep  the  ways  of  the  Lord. 

Robert  was  at  an  early  age  "admitted  to  the  sealing  ordinance 
of  the  Lord's  Supper"  in  the  church  of  his  parents,  and  of  which 
he  was  a  minor  member  from  his  birth. 

He  spent  his  childhood  and  youth  on  the  farm  of  his  father  until 
he  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  had  a  clear  and  deep  con- 
viction of  duty  to  serve  God  in  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel.  This 
information  gave  great  joy  to  his  father  and  was  in  answer  to  the 
dying  prayer  of  his  mother,  although  he  knew  nothing  of  that 
prayer  until  he  had  been  several  years  in  the  ministry. 

After  two  years  spent  in  an  excellent  preparatory  school  near 
the  Bethany  Church  in  Iredell  County,  N.  C,  he  entered  Davidson 
College  in  the  fall  of  1854,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institu- 
tion in  1858.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Eumemean  Society,  a  good 
student  who  never  failed  to  answer  to  his  name  at  the  Roll  Call 
at  Chapel  Prayers,  except  one  morning  when  he  was  attending  the 
funeral  of  his  sister,  and  to  him  was  given  the  deserved  honor  to 
deliver  the  Salutatory  Oration  in  Latin. 

The  year  1861  was  memorable  for  many  things  in  the  minds  of 
many  people.  Mr.  Johnston  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel 
April  13,  1861,  was  graduated  from  the  Columbia  Theological 
Seminary  May,  1861,  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Caldwell  May 
15,  1861,  was  ordained  by  Concord  Presbytery  and  installed  pastor 
of  the  Sharon  and  Providence  churches  November  17,  1861. 

He  spent  eleven  happy  and  useful  years  in  this  first  charge  and 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  21 

his  labors  were  owned  and  blessed  of  God  until  the  day  he  accepted 
the  call  to  the  Lincolnton  Church.  This  second  charge  was  his  last 
and  it  extended  from  January,  1872,  to  April  24,  1908,  when  he 
entered  into  his  Eternal  Rest.  Thirty-six  memorable  years  of  ser- 
vice true  for  God  and  fellow  man. 

From  Lincolnton  as  a  center  his  labors  were  extended  to  the 
surrounding  country  in  different  directions  and  for  long  distances. 
After  preaching  in  his  own  pulpit  at  the  morning  hour  of  worship 
he  would  ride  horseback  and  then  in  a  buggy  over  rough  and 
trying  roads  to  preach  for  some  mission  point,  or  to  supply  some 
small  church  at  the  afternoon  or  evening  service.  Among  the 
smaller  churches  thus  served  by  him  were  Goshen,  Mt.  Holly, 
Stanley  Creek,  Dallas,  Shelby,  Waco,  Cherryville,  Hephzibah  and 
Ironton.  In  all  these  and  other  places  where  he  ministered  in  love 
to  the  people  his  memory  is  revered  and  loved. 

He  was  for  twenty-five  years  the  stated  clerk  of  Mecklenburg 
Presbytery,  and  the  Moderator  of  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina  in 
1887.  While  pastor  of  the  Lincolnton  Church,  he  and  his  church 
were  members  of  three  different  Presbyteries.  The  first  was 
Mecklenburg,  which  was  formed  from  Concord  in  1869,  and  then 
in  1896  Asheville  Presbytery  was  formed  from  Mecklenburg,  and 
then  again  in  1902  Kings  Mountain  Presbytery  was  formed  from 
Asheville. 

Mr.  Johnston  was  always  greatly  interested  in  education.  He 
served  for  several  terms  as  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
of  Lincoln  County,  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Education,  as 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Lincolnton  Female 
Academy,  and  as  Trustee  of  Davidson  College. 

Mr.  Johnston  was  abundant  in  labors,  preaching  three  times 
each  sabbath,  and  often  during  the  week,  giving  catchetical  in- 
struction to  classes  after  the  fashion  of  Baxters  Reformed  Pastor, 
riding  through  rain  and  sleet  and  storms,  and  never  failing  to 
meet  his  appointment,  and  at  the  same  time  giving  of  his  time  and 
energy  and  influence  for  every  good  enterprise  in  the  community. 
He  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  meetings  of  Presbytery  and  Synod 
and  was  never  absent  save  once  from  each. 

In  the  matter  of  salary  I  suppose  Mr.  Johnston  fared  as  the 
average  of  those  pioneer  preachers  who  laid  the  foundations  of  our 
church  with  great  labor  and  self-sacrifice  and  heroic  devotion. 
The  salary  from  Goshen  Church  consisted  of  a  load  of  corn  deliv- 
ered in  the  late  fall  every  year,  and  from  Ironton  it  was  a  milk 


22  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

cow  every  spring.  The  combined  salary  from  all  the  churches 
sometimes  reached  a  maximum  of  five  hundred  dollars,  and  paid 
not  in  monthly  installments,  but  "a  little  now  and  a  little  then 
and  the  balance  at  the  end  of  the  year."  The  family  thought  they 
were  making  decided  progress  when  the  church  treasurer  would 
come  around  the  first  monday  of  the  month  to  bring  a  small  part 
of  the  salary  and  explain  why  that  was  all  he  could  do  at  that 
time. 

As  there  were  nine  in  this  family  it  would  seem  that  the  full 
monthly  part  of  this  small  salary  would  be  necessary  to  keep  things 
going,  and  yet  somehow  they  kept  going.  With  the  help  of  the 
cows  and  the  chickens,  the  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  the  economic 
skill  and  financial  ability  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnston  all  debts 
were  paid  when  due,  and  there  was  no  lack  in  the  family.  When 
the  time  came  for  the  children  to  go  away  to  school,  somehow  the 
money  was  available,  and  all  the  children  who  grew  to  maturity 
received  a  college  education.  This  was  a  financial  achievement  of 
no  small  proportions  and  could  scarcely  be  duplicated  at  the  present 
time. 

Miss  Catherine  Caldwell,  to  whom  Mr.  Johnston  was  married 
in  1861,  was  the  daughter  of  Mr.  R.  P.  Caldwell,  a  large  planter 
in  Chester  and  Fairfield  Counties,  S.  C.  and  also  an  elder  in  the 
"Old  Catholic  (Presbyterian)  Church."  She  was  a  lovely 
Christian  character,  a  wife  worthy  of  her  husband,  and  a  mother 
whose  praise  is  the  children  she  reared.  She  finished  her  work  on 
earth  and  on  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  September,  1901,  she  passed 
into  the  presence  of  her  Lord  in  heaven.  There  are  living  today 
59  descendants  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Johnston,  including  two  sons, 
Joseph  B.,  the  efficient  Manager  of  the  Barium  Springs  Orphans 
Home,  and  Rufus  Zenas,  captain  of  the  battleship  Arkansas;  also 
three  grandchildren  who  are  missionaries  in  China,  Rev.  R.  J. 
McMullen,  Miss  Nettie  McMullen,  and  Mrs.  Kittie  McMullen 
Farrior.  Of  this  home  Dr.  Minter  said:  "It  was  a  fit  picture  of 
the  home  in  heaven,  distilling  the  sweet  fragrance  of  Christ's 
presence." 

Mr.  Johnston  was  of  a  bright,  cheerful  disposition,  who  im- 
pressed all  who  knew  him  with  the  truth  that  he  cast  all  his 
care  on  the  Lord  and  worried  about  nothing.  But  there  was  one 
thing  he  did  not  want.  He  did  not  want  to  be  set  aside.  He 
wanted  and  prayed  earnestly  that  he  might  be  permitted  to  con- 
tinue in  the  Lords  work  down  here  until  the  call  should  come  for 
him  to  come  up  higher.     His  prayer  was  heard  and  most  gracious- 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  23 

ly  answered.  At  the  close  of  his  sermon  Sabbath  night,  being  the 
second  sermon  for  that  day,  he  was  taken  sick  in  the  pulpit  at 
Dallas  and  carried  home  and  on  the  following  Friday  he  bade  his 
sorrowing  friends  farewell  and  passed  through  the  portals  eternal 
of  the  city  not  made  with  hands. 

Appropriate  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  the  Rev.  W.  R. 
Minter,  recently  elected  pastor  of  the  Lincolnton  Church,  assisted 
by  nine  ministers  from  other  churches,  and  the  body  of  the  Rev. 
Robert  Zenas  Johnston  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  cemetery  beside  the 
graves  of  his  beloved  wife  and  two  of  their  children.  The  immense 
congregation  that  filled  the  Presbyterian  church,  built  under  his 
ministry,  and  that  overflowed  to  almost  the  capacity  of  the 
church  yard;  and  the  tributes  of  appreciation  from  the  Lincolnton 
Church,  the  Lincolnton  Ministers  Conference,  the  Lincolnton 
Female  Acadaemy,  the  Presbytery  of  Kings  Mountain,  the  Synod 
of  North  Carolina,  and  other  tributes  also,  testify  to  the  high 
esteem  in  which  this  man  was  held  as  "the  First  Citizen  of  Lincoln 
County,"  as  a  preacher,  a  pastor  and  a  man  of  God,  "who  being 
dead  yet  speaketh." 

"Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth;  yea 
saith  the  Spirit,  they  rest  from  their  labors  and  their  works  do 
follow  them." 


Rev.  Wm.  E.  Mcllwaine,  D.  D. 


The  Rev.  Wm.  E.  Mcllwaine  was  born  in  Union  County,  North 
Carolina,  February  19,  1945.  He  united  with  the  Six  Mile  Creek 
Presbyterian  Church,  Lancaster,  South  Carolina,  1862.  He  was 
taken  under  the  care  of  Mecklenburg  Presbytery  as  a  candidate 
for  the  ministry  at  the  Sugaw  Creek  Church,  April,  1873;  was 
licensed  to  preach,  or  rather  "to  try  his  gifts,"  at  a  meeting  of  the 
same  Presbytery  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Charlotte, 
May  1874.  and  was  ordained  to  the  full  work  of  the  ministry  of 
Mecklenburg  Presbytery  in  the  Hopewell  Presbyterian  Church, 
May,  1875. 

This  church  was  Mr.  Mcllwaine's  first  charge  from  1875  to  1884. 
During  this  time  the  First  Church  of  Gastonia  was  organized — 
July  16,  1882 — with  26  members  from  the  Olney  and  Union 
Churches  with  a  few  from  Long  Creek  and  Bethel  in  S.  C.  For 
two  years  the  Gastonia  Church  was  served  by  several  "supplies." 
Mr.  Mcllwaine  was  the  first  pastor.  When  he  took  charge  in  1884 
there  were  50  members  and  it  was  the  only  church  in  a  town  of 
500  people. 

Of  his  ministry  here  I  quote  from  Dr.  Mcllwaine's  letter  to  me 
of  May  26th:  "There  was  constant  growth  in  the  town  and  espec- 
ially in  our  church.  I  gave  one-half  of  my  time  to  this  church 
and  the  other  half  to  New  Hope.  After  six  years  the  Gastonia 
Church  had  grown  to  130  members  and  called  me  for  all  my  time 
at  a  salary  of  $800.00.  During  these  six  years  the  Gastonia 
Church  built  the  first  manse  in  the  county  for  one  of  our  ministers. 
Up  to  this  time  our  ministers  generally  owned  their  own  homes 
and  lived  in  the  country. 

"There  were  great  developments  within  the  Hopewell  Church 
where  I  gave  one-half  of  my  time.  I  soon  began  preaching  at 
Lowell  on  the  Railroad,  sabbath  evenings  after  preaching  at  New 
Hope  Church  in  the  mornings.  These  evening  services  resulted  in 
the  building  of  the  present  church  house  of  worship  at  Lowell  and 
the  organization  of  the  Lowell  Church. 

"At  alternate  sabbath  evenings  I  preached  at  Belmont  and  these 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  25 

evening  services  resulted  in  the  building  of  the  first  house  of 
worship  at  Belmont  and  the  organization  of  the  Belmont  Church 
(November  15,  1890). 

"These  two  buildings  were  erected  with  very  little  help  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Mecklenburg,  if  any  help  at  all.  And  besides  these 
two  buildings  we  erected  what  was  then  known  as  McLean's 
Chapel,  near  the  home  of  Mr.  John  McLean. 

"After  my  resignation  of  the  New  Hope  part  of  my  work,  the 
New  Hope,  Lowell  and  Belmont  Churches  called  Rev.  R.  A.  Miller 
for  the  whole  of  his  time  and  became  responsible  for  his  salary 
without  help  from  Presbytery. 

"To  sum  up:  In  five  or  six  years  two  churches  grew  into  four 
church  organizations  with  five  church  buildings,  all  paid  for,  and 
employing  and  supporting  two  ministers  instead  of  one.  Does 
the  history  of  Mecklenburg  Presbytery,  or  Kings  Mountain  Presby- 
tery reveal  larger  or  better  results  in  the  same  length  of  time?" 

Having  with  the  divine  blessing  placed  this  fine  work  in  such 
good  shape  he  felt  that  he  could  pass  it  on  to  other  hands. 

He  then  became  one  of  the  evangelists  of  the  Synod  of  North 
Carolina  and  continued  to  live  within  the  bounds  of  the  Mecklen- 
burg Presbytery,  and  served  as  chairman  of  its  committee  of  Home 
Missions  by  the  earnest  request  of  the  Presbytery.  From  this 
work  he  went  to  Alabama  and  served  for  three  years  as  superin- 
tendent of  Home  Missions  in  that  Synod. 

"As  I  look  back  over  a  long  and  busy  ministry  of  more  than  50 
years  I  have  the  happiest  recollections  of  my  labors  of  love  among 
the  Presbyterians  of  Gaston  County.  After  more  than  50  years 
of  continuous  service  I  am  so  thankful  to  say  that  I  am  in  perfect 
health  and  still  at  work  for  Christ  and  His  kingdom  on  earth.  As 
head  of  our  Home  Mission  work  in  Florida  Presbytery,  I  recently 
held  the  opening  service  in  the  new  church  of  Havana,  Florida,  and 
on  next  Sabbath  (the  5th  Sabbath  of  May,  1927)  I  will  hold  a 
similar  service  in  our  new  church  at  Ponce  de  Leon,  Florida." 

In  his  historic  address  at  the  Semi-Centennial  of  the  Mecklen- 
burg Presbytery  held  in  the  Steele  Creek  Church,  September,  1919, 
Dr.  Mcllwaine  made  a  few  statements  to  which  I  shall  call  atten- 
tion of  this  Presbytery.  He  said  that  when  the  Presbytery  of 
Mecklenburg  was  organized  in  1869  there  was  not  a  church  of 
the  Presbytery  that  had  a  manse  for  the  pastor.  There  were  20 
country  churches  at  that  time  and  not  one  had  been  dissolved,  but 
they  were  stronger  after  50  years  than  they  were  when  the  Pres- 


26  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

bytery  was  set  off  from  the  Presbytery  of  Concord  in  1869.  These 
20  country  churches  included  the  famous  seven — Sugaw  Creek, 
Steele  Creek,  Providence,  Hopewell,  Rocky  River,  Poplar  Tent  and 
Center — from  which  came  the  men  who  gave  to  the  world  the 
first  American  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  first  standing 
rule  adopted  by  the  Presbytery  of  Mecklenburg  was  that  the  fall 
meetings  of  the  Presbytery  should  be  held  in  the  mountain  portion 
of  its  territory.  This  rule  was  strictly  observed  for  many  years 
and  at  no  little  discomfort  oft  times  to  the  brethren,  on  account 
of  distances  and  roads.  The  first  committee  appointed  by  the 
Presbytery  was  a  committee  to  secure  a  Presbyterial  evangelist 
immediately. 

This  brief  sketch  will  conclude  with  a  quotation  from  the  pen 
of  Dr.  W.  W.  Moore,  referring  to  the  North  Carolina  Synodical 
evangelistic  work  which  was  fully  organized  in  1888:  "The  thing 
that  deserves  emphasis  is  that  Dr.  Mcllwaine,  Mecklenburg's  chair- 
man of  Home  Missions  at  that  time,  was  one  of  the  prime  movers 
in  this  epoch-making  action,  as  indeed  he  was  in  almost  every  other 
forward  movement  of  the  Church.  At  that  same  meeting  of  the 
Synod,  for  instance,  he  introduced  a  resolution  in  answer  to  a  me- 
morial from  the  Presbyterian  Lady  Managers  of  the  "Home  and 
Hospital"  in  Charlotte,  appointing  a  commission  to  establish  the 
Orphans  Home,  now  at  Barium  Springs,  one  of  the  most  important 
steps  taken  by  the  Synod. 

"In  every  way  he  was  a  leader  and  a  creative  worker  of  wide 
visions  of  bold  initiative,  of  sound  judgment,  of  unflagging  zeal,  and 
it  was  one  of  the  chief  felicities  of  the  semi-centennial  celebra- 
tion that  he  was  selected  to  tell  the  stirring  story  of  those  first 
fifty  years.  Happy  the  Presbytery  with  such  a  historian.  Happy 
the  historian  of  such  a  Presbytery." 


Rev*  Robert  Newton  Davis 

1818-1871 


The  Rev.  Robert  Newton  Davis  was  a  brother  of  the  Rev.  Thom- 
as E.  Davis  who  at  one  time  was  pastor  of  the  Rutherfordton  and 
Old  Brittain  churches.  He  was  also  the  uncle  of  the  Rev.  Edward 
Payson,  D.D.,  who  was  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  E.  Davis.  They 
were  all  descendants  of  Scotch-Irish  parents  who  settled  at  first 
in  the  Lancaster  District  of  South  Carolina,  and  then  removed  into 
the  bounds  of  the  Rocky  River  Church  in  North  Carolina.  This 
grand  old  church  had  a  great  drawing  power  for  people  who  had 
been  cast  in  the  mould  of  natures  nobility. 

On  a  farm  in  the  Rocky  River  community  Robert  Newton  Davis 
was  born  August  12,  1818.  His  parents  were  devout  members  of 
the  Rocky  River  Presbyterian  Church  and  brought  up  their  chil- 
dren in  the  love  and  fear  of  the  Lord  and  with  their  memories  well 
stored  with  that  form  of  sound  words  known  as  the  Shorter  Cate- 
chism. 

The  Rocky  River  Church  was  and  is  a  great  church,  with  a  his- 
tory of  which  any  church  might  feel  a  humble  and  grateful  pride. 
It  was  not  in  that  early  history  nor  is  it  now  so  conservative  as  it 
was  reported  to  have  been  during  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  J.  B. 
Mack,  D.D.  In  one  of  Dr.  J.  I.  Vance's  charming  little  books  he 
records  Dr.  Mack's  account  of  the  opposition  of  the  session  of  this 
church  to  everything  new  somewhat  after  this  fashion.  Dr.  Mack 
said  he  had  utterly  failed  to  get  his  session  to  consent  to  a  much 
needed  improvement  and  when  he  went  home  that  night  he  had  a 
wonderful  dream.  He  thought  they  were  all,  pastor  and  elders,  car- 
ried suddenly  away  beyond  the  hills  and  the  houses,  beyond  the 
clouds  and  the  stars.  The  sky  grew  more  and  more  resplendent- 
ly  bright  and  beautiful  as  they  ascended  until  they  stood  before 
the  burnished  gate  of  the  Celestial  City.  From  within  they  could 
hear  the  music  so  sweet  and  soul-stirring,  so  uplifting  and  enrap- 
turing, so  full  of  high  praise  and  holy  joy,  so  far  surpassing  any- 
thing that  they  had  ever  heard  or  conceived  that  one  of  the  elders 
asked  the  gatekeeper  eagerly,  "What  is  that  beautiful  song  to 
which  we  are  listening."    He  was  told  "That  is  the  New  Song  of 


28  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

Moses  and  the  Lamb.'  Startled  this  elder  asked  "what  place  is 
this?"  and  was  told  "This  is  the  New  Jerusalem.'  Then  those 
elders  looked  one  upon  another  and  said  "Brethren  this  is  no  place 
for  us.     Back  to  Rocky  River." 

This  church  may  or  may  not  have  justified  this  dream  but  in 
1832  it  had  an  Academy  taught  by  Mr.  R.  J.  McDowell  that  was  a 
veritable  fount  of  blessings  to  the  community  and  to  the  church  at 
large.  To  that  famous  school  Robert  Davis  was  sent  when  four- 
teen years  of  age  to  spend  three  years  in  faithful  and  profitable 
study. 

May,  1836,  he  made  a  public  profession  of  his  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  and  was  admitted  to  the  privileges  and  responsibilities 
of  a  communicant  member  in  the  church  of  his  parents. 

He  taught  school  two  years  to  secure  the  money  he  would  need 
to  pay  his  expenses  in  securing  a  collegiate  education  and  then, 
when  Davidson  College  opened  its  doors  to  students  for  the  first 
time  and  began  in  a  humble  way  its  splendid  career  of  service  to 
the  church  and  the  state,  he  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  young  men 
to  be  enrolled. 

He  entered  Davidson  College  March  1,  1837,  and  was  graduated 
with  credit  to  himself  and  his  alma  mater  August,  1840.  While  a 
college  student  he  was  diligent  in  his  studies,  irreproachable  in  his 
conduct,  obedient  to  constituted  authority,  kind  and  courteous  to 
his  fellow  students. 

In  the  spring  of  1843  he  graduated  from  the  Union  Theological 
Seminary  of  Virginia  after  completing  a  full  three  years  course  of 
theological  studies.  In  the  fall  of  that  same  year  he  was  licensed 
to  preach  the  gospel  by  the  Presbytery  of  Concord  in  session  at 
Poplar  Tent  Church. 

In  the  spring  of  1844  he  was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  Lex- 
ington and  installed  pastor  of  the  Warm  Springs  Church  in  Vir- 
ginia, which  he  served  with  his  accustomed  fidelity  six  years  and 
until  he  accepted  the  call  from  the  Lincolnton  and  Long  Creek 
churches  in  his  native  state. 

This  second  charge  was  also  his  last.  It  extended  over  more 
than  20  years  from  January,  1850,  to  the  24th  day  of  April,  1871. 
It  was  a  fruitful  ministry  and  to  human  sight,  all  too  short.  In 
the  fifty-second  year  of  his  life  and  the  twenty-seventh  of  his  min- 
istry, in  the  fullness  of  abounding  and  prosperous  labors  for  his 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  29 

Lord  and  at  the  peak  of  his  popularity  he  was  pro- 
moted on  the  field  of  action  here  to  a  higher  service  in  the  presence 
of  the  King. 

The  same  year  that  he  was  installed  pastor  of  his  first  charge 
(1844),  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Morton  of  Prince  Ed- 
ward County,  Va.  She  was  a  comfort  to  him  all  his  days  and  a 
real  helpmeet  in  all  his  abounding  labors  as  one  of  the  pioneer 
preachers  whose  memory  we  delight  to  honor.  Her  memory  is 
enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  many  who  sorrowed  with  her  in  the 
"Home  Going"  of  her  gifted  and  devoted  and  consecrated  husband. 

The  Session  of  the  Lincolnton  Church  placed  on  their  records  a 
worthy  tribute  to  their  departed  pastor,  from  which  I  quote:  "To 
our  departed  brother  was  given  more  than  ordinary  measure  of 
mental  gifts  and  endowments,  and  these  he  had  successfully  and 
zealously  cultivated  in  a  life  of  laborous  study.  To  a  mind  thus 
disciplined  and  enlarged  there  was,  as  its  crown  of  adornment,  an 
earnest  heartfelt  living  piety,  all  his  gifts  and  acquirements  being 
consecrated  to  that  Savior  whom  he  loved  so  well.  His  discourses 
were  preeminently  instructive  and  interesting.  He  was  a  Scrip- 
tural preacher,  a  workman  that  needed  not  to  be  ashamed,  able 
rightly  to  divide  the  word  of  truth.  He  was  greatly  esteemed  and 
beloved  not  only  by  the  members  of  this  session  and  of  the  congre- 
gation but  also  by  the  entire  community  among  whom  he  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  life." 

This  sketch  will  close  with  a  few  extracts  from  the  Memorial 
adopted  by  the  Presbytery  of  Mecklenburg:  "As  a  Christian,  Mr. 
Davis  was  distinguished  not  only  for  the  consistent  performance 
of  the  relative  duties  of  life,  but  also  for  the  kind  and  amiable 
manner  of  his  social  intercourse.  He  sought  the  welfare  of  others 
with  so  much  modesty,  humility  and  benevolence  as  to  gain  their 
goodwill.  Few  men  have  been  more  generally  beloved  by  all  class- 
es of  society. 

"As  a  minister  he  was  prudent,  unassuming  and  faithful.  He 
preached  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel  in  a  plain,  affectionate 
and  earnest  manner.  The  work  of  the  ministry  was  to  him  the 
great  business  of  life  to  which  he  cheerfully  devoted  all  his  time 
and  talents  and  influence. 

"As  a  member  of  the  Courts  of  the  Church  he  was  remarkable 
for  his  punctual  attendance  upon  their  meetings  and  for  a  cheerful 
performance  of  all  services  demanded.  He  was  frequently  called 
to  record  their  proceedings. 

"They  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firma- 
ment, and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness  as  the  stars  for- 
ever and  ever." 


Rev*  James  Davidson  Hall 

1806-1892 


James  Davidson  Hall  was  born  near  Statesville,  Iredell  County, 
N.  C,  March  17th,  1806.  He  was  a  worthy  son  of  a  sturdy  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestry.  His  great  grandfather  was  one  of  those  liberty 
loving  Presbyterians,  who  during  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth 
century  came  in  so  large  numbers  from  North  Ireland  to  America. 
His  first  settlement  was  in  Pennsylvania  in  the  year  1720.  In 
1751  he  moved  to  what  is  now  Iredell  County,  North  Carolina, 
where  he  reared  a  large  and  influential  family.  More  than  sixty 
of  his  direct  descendants  are  known  to  have  entered  the  Presby- 
terian ministry.  Three  of  these  attained  to  the  high  honor  of  the 
Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States:  his  son,  James  Hall,  D.D.,  his  great,  great 
grandson,  W.  T.  Hall,  D.D.,  and  Judge  Allen  G.  Hall,  of  Nashville, 
Tenn. 

James  Davidson  Hall's  father  and  mother  were  James  Hall  of 
Iredell  County,  North  Carolina,  and  his  wife  Rachel  Johnston. 
They  were  both  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  and  proceeded  to  rear 
and  teach  and  train  their  children  after  the  accepted  pattern  under 
which  they  themselves  had  been  "brought  up",  with  strong  empha- 
sis on  keeping  the  sabbath  day  holy,  reading  the  Bible  reverently 
and  committing  to  memory  the  Shorter  Catechism.  It  was  the 
good  Scotch  recipe  for  bringing  up  children  "in  the  way  they 
should  go." 

Not  only  was  Mr.  Hall  fortunate  in  the  family  from  which  he 
sprang,  but  also  in  the  community  in  which  he  was  reared.  It 
was  a  God-fearing  community.  It  had  its  church  with  school 
nearby.  In  the  one  he  learned  to  love  the  Lord,  and  in  the  other 
he  formed  a  taste  for  good  literature,  and  was  fired  with  a  desire 
for  a  finished  education. 

He  entered  the  Junior  Class  of  the  University  of  N.  C.  in  1826 
and  two  years  later  he  graduated  with  the  second  highest  honor. 
After  teaching  two  years  at  Washington,  N.  C,  he  entered  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  Va.,  from  which  institution  he  was  grad- 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  31 

uated  in  1833.  He  was  ordained  evangelist  by  Orange  Presbytery 
March  8,  1833.  Two  years  later  he  became  the  pastor  of  Thyatira 
and  Franklin  churches  in  Rowan  County,  N.  C. 

In  1846  he  removed  to  Gaston  County  where  he  spent  the  remain- 
der of  his  long  and  useful  life.  His  principal  charge  was  Goshen, 
New  Hope,  and  Olney,  but  at  different  times  he  ministered  also  to 
all  the  churches  of  the  county;  Union  in  its  infancy,  Long  Creek, 
Hephzibah  and  in  addition  he  cultivated  one  or  more  mission  points. 
He  preached  in  season  and  out  of  season,  and  often  without  money 
and  without  price.  For  many  years  he  was  the  lone  watchman  in 
Gaston  county,  and  largely  because  of  his  efforts  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  that  county  lived  and  grew.  As  a  preacher  he  was  al- 
ways sound  and  strong,  and  at  times  moving. 

When  he  came  to  Gaston  County  he  found  a  great  lack  of  edu- 
cational advantages.  There  were  no  public  schools,  and  such 
schools  as  existed  were  of  a  low  order.  With  characteristic  ener- 
gy he  set  about  remedying  this  condition  by  erecting  a  classical 
school  of  high  order.  He  became  himself  the  principal  teacher. 
To  this  school  came  boys  from  a  large  section  of  North  Carolina 
and  from  the  upper  part  of  South  Carolina.  Scores  of  young  men 
were  fitted  for  life,  who  almost  invariably  became  useful  citizens 
as  preachers,  doctors,  lawyers,  business  men,  and  farmers.  Being 
a  strong  character  and  an  unusual  classical  scholar  he  left  an  in- 
delible impression  upon  his  pupils. 

He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Davidson  College  and  the  only  one 
present  at  the  Semi-Centennial  Anniversary  when  Dr.  Jethro  Rum- 
ple delivered  the  historic  address.  Dr.  Rumple  said  on  that  occas- 
ion: "Quite  a  number  of  young  men,  full  of  hope  and  enterprise, 
had  entered  the  ministry  of  Concord  Presbytery  while  Western 
College  was  trying  to  live.  When  these  young  men  had  achieved 
position  and  influence  by  a  dozen  years  of  experience,  they  de- 
termined to  reopen  and  reagitate  the  college  building  subject.** 
Precious  is  the  memory  of  these  devout  men  and  it  is  fitting  that 
they  should  be  held  in  everlasting  remembrance.  I  see  one  of 
them,  Rev.  James  D.  Hall,  on  the  platform  today,  and  I  tender 
him  the  thanks  of  all,  for  his  services  fifty  years  ago  and  our  con- 
gratulations that  God  has  spared  him  to  see  this  happy  day." 

The  War  Between  the  States  swept  away  much  of  his  earthly 
possessions,  but  like  others  in  our  Southland,  he  arose  from  the 


32  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

catastrophe  with  undaunted  courage,  to  renew  his  efforts  to  meet 
the  needs  of  his  family  and  provide  for  the  education  of  his  chil- 
dren. 

He  was  married  three  times.  His  first  wife  was  a  Miss  Brandon 
who  lived  only  a  short  time  after  their  marriage.  Their  son  was 
the  Rev.  William  Thomas  Hall,  who  graduated  from  Davidson  Col- 
lege and  from  Columbia  Theological  Seminary  and  served  as  pas- 
tor at  Lancaster,  S.  C,  and  at  Ebenezer,  S.  C,  and  as  Chaplain 
in  the  Confederate  army,  and  as  pastor  at  Canton,  Miss.,  (10 
years),  and  at  Lynchburg,  Va.,  for  twenty-one  years  and  then  for 
the  remainder  of  his  life  as  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Columbia 
Theological  Seminary.  He  was  elected  the  Moderator  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  1902,  at  Jackson,  Miss. 

The  second  wife  of  James  Davidson  Hall  was  Miss  Elvira  Scott, 
whose  married  life  was  short  and  whose  only  child  was  a  son, 
James,  who  died  in  early  youth.  The  third  wife  was  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Neagle,  who  for  almost  half  a  century  lived  to  bless  her  hus- 
band and  their  six  children. 

These  were  John  Davidson  Hall,  a  useful  citizen  residing  on  a 
farm  near  Saluda,  N.  C;  Matthew  Neagle  Hall,  a  successful  busi- 
ness man  and  farmer,  who  for  some  years  was  an  elder  in  the 
Goshen  and  then  until  death  elder  of  the  Belmont  Presbyterian 
Church;  Miss  Elvira  Hall,  who  married  the  Rev.  R.  M.  Hall,  of 
Plymouth,  111.;  Franklin  Price  Hall,  who  after  graduating  from 
Davidson  College  gave  his  life  to  school  work,  and  for  more  than 
twenty-five  years  has  been  at  the  head  of  the  Public  School  Sys- 
tem of  Gaston  County,  N.  C,  and  largely  responsible  for  its  re- 
markable success.  Laban  Barringer  Hall  died  unmarried;  Rev. 
Joseph  Kirkland  Hall,  who  after  graduating  from  Davidson  Col- 
lege and  Union  Theological  Seminary  served  as  pastor  at  Ashland, 
Va.,  and  at  McConnellsville,  S.  C.  as  Principal  of  the  Westminster 
School  two  years,  and  then  as  pastor  at  Lillington,  N.  C,  and 
Parkton,  N.  C.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Historical  committee  of 
Kings  Mountain  Presbytery,  a  brother  beloved  and  held  in  high 
honor.  John  Quincy  Hall,  fifth  son  and  sixth  child  in  his  fathers 
family  is  a  successful  farmer  and  a  ruling  elder  in  the  Belmont 
Presbyterian  Church. 

When  the  weight  of  many  years  of  service  began  to  press  heavily 
upon  the  failing  strength  of  the  Rev.  James  Davidson  Hall,  he  was 
enabled  of  God  to  lay  down  his  burdens  one  by  one,  and  to  find  a 
sweet  satisfaction  in  meditating  on  the  goodness  of  God,  and  in 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  33 

the  reflections  of  a  well  spent  life  as  the  father  of  a  notable  family, 
and  as  one  of  the  pioneer  preachers  in  the  Piedmont  of  the  Caro- 
linas.  As  he  lingered  in  the  gloaming  and  waited  for  the  opening 
of  the  gates  of  gold  he  spake  often  of  the  grace  and  loving  kind- 
ness of  the  Lord  and  of  that  communion  with  Him  in  the  quiet  of 
the  eventide  that  made  the  last  years  of  his  long  and  useful  life  the 
sweetest  and  happiest.  When  the  last  call  came  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  day  of  August,  1892,  he  was  in  his  eighty-seventh  year,  and 
all  ready  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ.  So  he  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 
Honor  was  paid  to  his  memory  by  a  multitude  of  friends  and  his 
body  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  graveyard  of  the  old  Goshen  Church 
until  the  resurrection  morn. 

"The  souls  of  believers  are  at  their  death  made  perfect  in  holi- 
ness and  do  immediately  pass  into  glory;  their  bodies  being  still 
united  to  Christ  do  rest  in  their  graves  till  the  resurrection." 


Rev*  Edward  Payson  Davis,  D.  D- 

1851 


There  were  three  men  in  this  Davis  family  who  are  entitled  to 
a  place  among  the  Pioneer  Presbyterian  preachers  of  the  Piedmont 
of  North  Carolina.  They  were  the  Rev.  Edward  Payson  Davis, 
D.D.,  his  father,  the  Rev.  Thomas  E.  Davis,  one  time  pastor  of  the 
Olney  church,  and  of  the  Rutherfordton  and  Brittain  churches,  and 
his  uncle  the  Rev.  Robert  N.  Davis,  D.D.,  for  twenty  years  pastor 
of  the  Lincolnton  and  Long  Creek  churches  and  preacher  at  a  num- 
ber of  mission  stations  in  the  surrounding  country. 

They  were  the  descendants  of  Scotch-Irish  emigrants  who  came 
to  this  country  from  the  North  of  Ireland  during  the  first  half  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  as  did  the  forebears  of  so  many  of  the 
great  men  of  our  nation. 

Rev.  Thomas  E.  Davis  was  born  in  the  Lancaster  district,  South 
Carolina,  but  was  carried  by  his  father  to  a  farm  in  the  bounds 
of  the  Rocky  River  Church,  North  Carolina,  when  he  was  eight 
years  of  age. 

Working  the  farm  was  his  occupation  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age  when  he  heard  the  call  of  God  to  preach  the  gospel, 
and  he  was  not  disobedient  to  that  heavenly  voice,  but  after  due 
preparation  in  the  Rocky  River  Academy  he  entered  Davidson  Col- 
lege, from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1838.  He  was 
graduated  from  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  at  Hampden-Sid- 
ney,  Virginia,  in  1841.  His  licensure  and  ordination  followed  in 
due  time,  as  did  also  his  marriage  to  Miss  Harriet  Lee  Dobson. 

Six  children  came  into  this  family,  but  only  two  lived  to  be 
grown;  Robert  Chalmers,  who  became  an  eminent  physician  in 
New  York  City,  and  Edward  Payson,  who  is  now  living  in  Green- 
ville, South  Carolina. 

When  the  Rev.  Thomas  Davis  was  pastor  of  the  Rutherfordton 
and  Brittain  churches,  a  baby  boy  was  born  into  his  family  at  an 
unrecorded  hour  of  July  the  twelfth,  1851,  and  in  due  time  was 
christened  Edward  Payson.    His  boyhood  was  spent  in  the  usual 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  35 

way  for  a  son  of  the  manse  in  pioneer  days,  and  without  anything 
that  could  be  called  prophetic  or  thrilling.  He  was  prepared  for 
Davidson  College  by  his  father,  who  was  both  preacher  and  teacher, 
and  good  at  both,  and  graduated  from  that  institution  in  June, 
1873. 

After  teaching  school  one  year  at  McConnellsville,  South  Caro- 
lina, he  entered  Columbia  Theological  Seminary,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  that  School  of  the  Prophets  in  the  spring  of  1877. 

While  a  student  at  Davidson  College  he  had  been  converted  un- 
der the  able  preaching  of  Professor  Monroe  Anderson,  and  imme- 
diately felt  the  call  to  devote  his  life  to  the  gospel  ministry. 

He  was  licensed  by  the  Mecklenburg  Presbytery  at  Wadesboro, 
North  Carolina,  April,  1877,  and  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of 
South  Carolina  that  he  might  accept  a  call  he  had  received  from 
two  churches  in  Abbeville  county  of  that  state. 

He  presented  his  letter  of  transfer  to  the  latter  Presbytery  in 
session  in  Greenville,  S.  C,  Sept.,  1877,  and  after  a  satisfactory 
examination  a  commission  was  appointed  to  ordain  and  install  him 
pastor  of  the  Hopewell  and  Willington  churches.  Hopewell  was 
then  not  far  from  a  hundred  years  old,  for  the  deed  to  the  church 
land  is  dated  1788,  and  the  first  ruling  elder  was  Patrick  Calhoun, 
father  of  the  famous  and  greatly  gifted  John  C.  Calhoun.  This 
church  once  had  about  six  hundred  members  and  was  a  power  in 
the  land. 

Willington  Church  was  organized  in  1813  by  the  Rev.  Moses 
Waddell,  D.D.,  and  consisted  largely  of  Huguenots,  a  splendid  peo- 
ple. It  was  never  so  large  as  Hopewell — having  at  the  most  pros- 
perous period  only  one  hundred  and  forty  members — but  Dr.  Wad- 
dell's  famous  school  was  located  in  this  community  and  that  gave 
the  church  for  some  years  a  peculiar  importance. 

There  was  living  in  the  Hopewell  community  a  charming  young 
lady,  an  active  member  of  the  church,  a  graduate  of  the  Due  West 
Female  College,  who  had  been  living  with  her  aunt  in  this  com- 
munity since  the  death  of  her  mother  when  she  was  a  child  of  two 
years.  This  young  lady,  whose  father,  the  Rev.  James  Alexander 
Lowry,  D.  D.,  was  held  in  high  honor  by  his  ministerial  brethren  in 
the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  of  Alabama,  had 
many  charms  and  they  proved  irresistible  to  the  young  pastor. 
On  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  December,  1880,  Miss  Mary  Agnes 
Lowry  became  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Payson  Davis  and  for 


36  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

forty-seven  years  she  has  been  to  him  a  real  helpmeet  and  to  his 
seven  children  she  has  been  such  a  mother  as  children  love  to  rise 
up  and  call  blessed. 

After  more  than  six  happy  and  prosperous  years  spent  with 
these  two  old  churches  the  young  preacher  accepted  a  call  from 
the  Home  Mission  Committee  of  Mecklenburg  Presbytery  to  take 
charge  of  the  "Shelby  Field"  in  North  Carolina.  This  was  a  large 
contract.  It  meant  that  he  would  live  in  Shelby  and  preach  there 
two  sabbaths  each  month  and  the  other  sabbaths  would  be  given 
to  Forest  City,  eighteen  miles  distant,  where  we  had  no  organiza- 
tion; Duncans  Creek,  20  miles  distant,  where  there  was  a  Northern 
Presbyterian  church  of  12  members;  and  Sandy  Plains,  which  was 
thirty  miles  distant,  where  we  had  a  little  Church  of  14  members. 

These  distances  were  traveled  on  horseback  or  in  a  buggy  and 
over  roads  that  were  always  rough  and  trying,  and  often  almost 
impassible.  It  was  hard  work  as  is  always  true  of  pioneer  work, 
but  pioneer  work  pays  as  may  be  seen  by  a  comparison  of  the 
conditions  of  our  church  in  that  territory  then  and  now. 

These  were  not  the  only  preaching  places  although  they  were 
more  than  the  number  of  sabbaths  in  each  month,  but  Mr.  Davis 
preached  wherever  there  was  an  opportunity  whether  in  a  house  or 
in  the  open  air  with  his  congregation  perched  on  a  fence  or  sitting 
on  stones  or  sprawling  on  the  ground  or  just  standing  up.  He 
remembers  the  many  splendid  virtues  of  these  "mountain  men" 
and  he  also  has  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  ignorance,  and  bigotry, 
and  prejudice  against  paying  a  preacher  for  his  services;  all  of 
which  has  not  passed  with  the  progress  of  the  years. 

Mr.  Davis  writes  as  follows:  "We  arrived  in  Shelby,  November 
14,  1883,  and  were  very  kindly  received  by  the  people.  They  met 
us  cordially  and  gave  us  many  handsome  and  useful  presents.  My 
salary  from  the  field  was  $800.00  and  I  had  to  rent  my  own  house. 
After  the  first  year  the  good  people  of  Shelby  bought  for  a  manse 
the  house  I  had  rented  and  the  three  acres  of  land  that  went  with 
the  house  helped  to  supplement  our  salary.  They  completed  their 
house  of  worship,  varnished  the  seats,  calcimined  the  walls,  and 
put  a  carpet  on  the  floor.  A  sabbath  school  was  organized  and  a 
small  library  purchased.  The  deacons  were  organized  into  a 
board,  the  children  into  a  juvenile  missionary  society  and  the  la- 
dies into  the  aid  society  with  special  reference  to  paying  the  debt 
on  the  manse." 

Shelby  at  that  time  had  fifteen  hundred  people,  one  college,  two 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  37 

high  schools,  two  newspapers,  four  churches,  several  cigar  and 
tobacco  factories  and  a  warehouse  that  shipped  10,000  to  12,000 
bales  of  cotton  annually.     It  was  considered  a  strategic  point. 

After  two  years  Dr.  Davis  continued  to  give  Shelby  two  Sabbaths 
each  month  and  the  other  time  to  Kings  Mountain,  which  had 
been  organized  into  a  church  of  18  members,  and  the  Shiloh  Church 
at  Grover  that  had  20  members.  To  each  of  these  small  churches 
he  gave  one  Sabbath  each  month.  Shiloh  had  a  small  house  of 
worship  but  there  was  no  house  of  worship  at  Kings  Mountain. 
This  congregation  was  dependent  upon  the  courtesy  of  the  Metho- 
dist and  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  Churches  for  the 
use  of  their  houses  of  worship  when  they  were  not  in  service. 
This  situation  was  of  course  not  to  be  continued.  After  a  few 
months  this  young  and  feeble  band  bought  a  small  wood  building 
on  the  west  side  of  the  railroad,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Rail- 
road and  Kings  Streets.  This  they  converted  into  a  comfortable 
place  for  worship,  for  several  years  and  until  they  secured  the 
present  brick  building  on  the  corner  of  Piedmont  and  Mountain 
Streets,  in  the  center  of  the  town. 

Dr.  Davis  was  the  first  pastor  of  the  Shelby  Church  which  had 
before  that  time  been  served  by  supplies.  He  was  the  first  Pres- 
byterian preacher  to  live  in  a  manse  in  that  town,  and  the  only 
Presbyterian  preacher  in  Cleveland  county  at  that  time.  He  was 
the  first  regular  supply  of  the  Kings  Mountain  Church  which  was 
organized  April  5,  1884,  and  helped  this  young  flock  to  get  a  house 
of  worship  and  well  started  on  the  way  to  subsequent  growth  and 
prosperity. 

Comparing  the  conditions  in  Cleveland  County  as  they  were 
in  1883  with  what  they  are  in  1927  we  find  an  increase  from  one 
Presbyterian  preacher  to  three,  from  two  Presbyterian  Churches 
to  three,  from  no  manse  to  three,  from  no  sabbath  school  to  three, 
from  two  unfinished  church  buildings  to  three,  of  which  two  have 
.splendid  sabbath  school  equipment,  from  109  communicants  to 
560. 

Remembering  the  hardships  of  his  work  in  the  presence  of  this 
progress  Dr.  Davis  writes  as  follows:  "Expansion  and  not  con- 
centration is  the  divine  policy  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  Kingdom 
of  Heaven  on  the  earth.  When  the  church  ceases  to  grow  it  has 
begun  to  die.  The  people  in  every  community  need  the  helpful 
influences  of  the  ideals  and  doctrines  and  moral  standards 
peculiar  to  the  presence  and  preaching  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 


38  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

and  where  these  things  are  understood  this  Church  receives  a  cor- 
dial welcome.  When  I  labored  in  the  Shelby  Field  the  work  was 
primitive  and  hard  and  carried  on  under  most  trying  conditions, 
but  when  I  compare  the  conditions  then  and  now  (1927)  I  am  more 
than  ever  convinced  of  the  supreme  importance  of  aggressive 
Home  Mission  work.  This  is  a  work  that  calls  for  faith  and 
patience  and  vision.  Where  the  vision  fails  the  work  lags  and 
the  people  perish." 

With  the  close  of  the  year  1887  Dr.  Davis  closed  his  ministry 
in  this  territory.  From  January,  1888,  to  the  fall  of  1892  he  was 
pastor  of  the  First  Church  of  Winston-Salem,  succeeding  the  Rev. 
F.  H.  Johnston,  D.  D.,  who  was  the  first  pastor  of  that  church. 
Here  he  built  a  new  house  of  worship  and  a  chapel  for  a  mission 
that  has  since  grown  into  a  self-supporting  church.  One  young 
man,  T.  W.  DeVane,  entered  the  ministry. 

From  the  fall  of  1892  to  July,  1900,  Dr.  Davis  was  pastor  of  the 
First  Church,  Montgomery,  Alabama,  succeeding  the  greatly  be- 
loved Dr.  T.  DeWitt  Burkhead.  Here  he  built  a  chapel  for  a 
mission  that  has  since  grown  into  a  self-supporting  church.  Three 
young  men,  whose  names  are  now  well  known  in  the  church,  enter- 
ed the  ministry:  E.  L.  Hill,  G.  D.  Booth,  and  W.  D.  Burkhead,  a  son 
of  the  former  pastor. 

From  July,  1900,  to  February,  1905,  he  was  pastor  of  the 
Opelika  and  Auburn  Churches,  when  an  unexpected  and  urgent  call 
came  from  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Greenville,  South 
Carolina,  and  although  this  was  a  weak  and  struggling  band  of 
about  one  hundred  members,  he  accepted  the  call  and  began  work 
with  his  well  known  energy  and  ability.  When  he  resigned  this 
charge  after  20  years  of  most  delightful  and  successful  labor  the 
the  church  had  a  commodious  house  of  worship,  a  modern  manse, 
a  membership  of  517  with  24  officers,  and  was  contributing  about 
$23,000  for  all  causes  annually.  It  is  one  of  the  strong  churches 
of  that  Presbytery. 

Dr.  Davis  has  had  a  long  and  fruitful  ministry  with  many 
tokens  of  the  favor  of  the  King,  "Whose  he  is  and  whom  he 
serves."  He  resigned  from  the  pastorate  of  his  church  but  he 
did  not  resign  from  the  active  work  of  the  ministry.  His  bow 
abides  in  strength  and  his  evangelistic  spirit  knows  no  abating. 

One  of  the  large  contributions  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  to  the 
Kingdom  of  God  consist  of  their  seven  children,  of  whom  six  are 
now  living  and  working  for  the  Master.     The  first  born  is  Rev. 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  39 

Lowry  Davis,  D.  D.,  for  17  years  a  faithful  missionary  in  China. 
Harriett,  who  died  in  1924,  was  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  P.  Guerrant, 
third  son  of  Rev.  E.  O.  Guerrant,  D.  D.,  of  Kentucky;  Mary  is 
now  Mrs.  E.  G.  Mallard,  the  Educational  Secretary  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Tampa,  Fla.;  Sallie  married  Judge  W.  M. 
Scott,  of  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  when  he  lost  his  life  in  an  auto 
accident  she  was  elected  his  successor,  1920;  Mattie  married  Mr. 
R.  C.  Babb,  a  merchant,  of  Greneville,  S.  C;  Roberta  is  a  news- 
paper woman  of  large  influence  and  Edward  Payson,  Jr.,  is  a 
successful  busines  man  of  Charlotte,  N.  C.  With  families  such  as 
this  and  such  as  were  the  families  of  other  pioneer  Presbyterian 
preachers  of  the  Piedmont,  rests  the  future  of  our  church  and 
state  in  great  security. 


Rev.  R.  P.  Smith,  D.  D. 

1851- 


The  pioneer  Presbyterian  preachers  of  the  Piedmont  were  all 
imbued  with  the  evangelistic  spirit,  and  when  pastors  of  organized 
churches  gave  themselves  largely  to  preaching  the  gospel  in  out- 
lying communities,  but  the  outstanding  man  of  evangelistic  labors 
was  the  Rev.  R.  P.  Smith,  D.  D. 

From  the  day  of  his  ordination  by  Enoree  Presbytery  "with 
evangelistic  powers"  in  1887,  unto  this  day  his  chief  occupation  has 
been  that  of  an  evangelist.  Even  when  president  of  the  Presby- 
terian College  of  South  Carolina  at  Clinton  (1885-1887)  he  spent 
the  Saturday  and  the  Sabbath  of  almost  every  week  preaching  in 
communities  where  there  were  no  organized  churches.  During 
his  three  short  and  successful  pastorates  he  abounded  in  evange- 
listic labors  also.  The  far  greater  part  of  the  forty  years  and 
more  of  his  minsterial  life  has  been  spent  in  evangelistic  work. 
What  a  record  is  this? 

Mr.  Smith's  forebears  were  of  that  sturdy  Scotch-Irish  stock 
that  did  so  much  for  this  country  in  colonial  times  and  also  in  all 
subsequent  times.  His  grandparents  came  to  America  during 
the  last  years  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  settled  in  the  terri- 
tory of  the  Carolinas.  There  he  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Spartan- 
burg County  on  the  24th  day  of  March,  1851. 

His  father  was  a  Ruling  Elder  in  the  old  Nazereth  Presbyterian 
Church.     His  grandfather  had  filled  the  same  high  office  before  him. 

The  close  of  the  War  Between  the  States  found  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  a  poor  and  fatherless  lad  of  twelve  years  working  hard 
to  help  his  widowed  mother  in  the  support  of  the  younger  children 
of  the  family. 

Two  good  friends — his  teacher  and  his  Sabbath  school  superin- 
tendent— saw  that  he  was  eager  for  an  education  that  he  might 
preach  the  gospel,  and  they  said  to  him  that  they  had  a  sum  of 
money  to  invest  for  the  Lord  in  paying  the  expenses  of  the  educa- 
tion of  such  a  lad  as  himself.    It  was  a  partnership  for  the  Lord 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  41 

that  proved  quite  profitable  for  all  the  parties — for  the  friends 
who  furnished  the  money  and  for  the  lad  who  furnished  the  time 
and  labor  and  his  personality. 

After  two  years  of  preparatory  study  in  an  excellent  academy 
and  four  years  in  Davidson  College  he  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  in  a  class  of  twenty-six  young  men,  of  whom  eleven 
entered  the  gospel  ministry.  This  was  the  class  of  1873.  Then 
came  two  years  of  teaching  in  the  Reidville,  S.  C,  Male  Academy, 
and  one  year  of  study  in  the  Columbia  Theological  Seminary, 
when  on  account  of  the  condition  of  his  eyes  his  physician  forbade 
him  to  engage  in  close  and  continuous  study.  This  was  a 
real  thorn  in  the  flesh,  but  a  thorn  that  proved  a  blessing,  as 
thorns  have  often  done  since  the  days  of  the  Apostle  Paul. 

Shortly  after  leaving  the  Seminary  he  accepted  the  position  of 
president  of  the  Reidsville  Female  Academy,  where  he  did  a  most 
excellent  work  for  nine  years  and  until  he  became  the  president  of 
the  Presbyterian  College  of  South  Carolina  at  Clintonville.  While 
discharging  the  duties  of  a  college  president  Mr.  Smith  also  gave 
his  week-ends  to  evangelistic  work  in  the  needy  communities  of  the 
county.  Both  departments  of  his  work  grew  so  rapidly  that  in 
two  and  a  half  years  each  demanded  his  whole  time.  To  the  sur- 
prise of  his  friends  he  resigned  from  the  presidency  of  the  college 
and  accepted  the  pastoral  call  from  the  Bullocks  Creek  and  Mt. 
Pleasant  Churches.  This  was  his  first  pastorate  from  1887  to  1890. 
Under  his  ministry  the  manse  and  both  houses  of  worship  were 
enlarged,  the  membership  was  increased  and  a  creditable  monu- 
ment was  erected  over  the  the  grave  of  the  Rev.  Josph  Alexander, 
D.  D.,  one  of  the  Fathers  of  Presbyterianism  in  the  Carolinas. 
From  1890  to  1893  Mr.  Smith  was  pastor  of  the  Blackstock  Church, 
where  he  did  good  service  for  the  Master,  until  he  became  pastor 
of  the  Gastonia  Presbyterian  Church,  which  was  his  last  pastorate, 
1893  to  1896.  In  each  of  his  three  pastoral  charges  his  labors 
were  blessed  and  the  work  prospered,  but  his  heart  was  the  heart 
of  the  evangelist  and  he  ceased  to  be  a  pastor  in  order  that  he 
might  give  himself  wholly  to  the  work  of  an  evangelist. 

The  Presbytery  of  Asheville  was  set  off  from  Mecklenburg 
Presbytery  in  the  year  1896  and  from  that  time  until  1924  Dr. 
Smith  was  the  evangelist  and  superintendent  of  Home  Missions  of 
Asheville  Presbytery,  except  when  he  was  the  Superintendent  of 
Home  Missions  of  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina  from  1905  to  1909. 
When  in  1924  Dr.  Smith  offered  his  resignation  on  account  of  his 
eyes  and  his  failing  strength,  his  Presbytery  elected  him  "Superin- 


42  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

tendent  Emeritus  and  Advisor  and  Treasurer  of  the  Committee 
at  the  same  salary.'  This  was  a  high  honor  and  richly  deserved — 
an  honor  to  the  Presbytery  no  less  than  to  Dr.  Smith. 

A  brief  summary  of  the  results  of  the  work  in  the  mountains  in 
which  Dr.  Smith  was  the  chief  actor  and  director  will  give  some 
idea  of  the  extent  of  his  labors  and  of  the  willingness  of  the  Lord 
to  bless  and  prosper  the  labors  of  those  who  are  willing  to  endure 
hardness  for  the  progress  of  His  kingdom:  (1)  Thirty- two  Sab- 
bath and  mission  day  schools  were  organized  in  which  two  thou- 
sand children  and  young  people  received  Bible  instruction  with 
their  other  studies.  (2)  Forty  buildings  were  erected  free  of 
debt — including  manses,  orphanages,  mission  school  houses  and 
church  buildings.  (3)  Fourteen  churches  were  organized  from 
mission  stations  and  five  of  them  have  become  self-supporting. 
(4)  Several  thousand  precious  souls  have  been  led  out  of  the  dark- 
ness of  sin  and  ignorance  into  the  love  and  service  and  fellowship 
of  our  Lord  and  Savior.  (5)  The  offerings  of  this  Presbytery  lor 
benevolent  causes  were  increased  fivefold  (500%)  and  more,  and 
for  pastors  salary  and  current  church  expenses  more  than  three- 
fold or  300%. 

In  securing  these  splendid  results,  and  others  richer  far  that 
cannot  be  tabulated,  there  was  an  expenditure  of  consecrated  zeal 
and  energy,  of  self-denial  and  sacrificial  devotion,  of  Christian 
courage  and  heroism  that  cannot  be  adequately  expressed  in  words 
that  would  not  seem  to  be  exaggerated,  but  it  may  be  well  to 
remember  that  this  work  required  250,000  miles  of  travel  and  for 
the  most  part  mountain  travel,  over  mountain  miles,  on  mountain 
roads,  on  horseback  or  on  foot,  and  through  all  kinds  of  weather 
in  all  seasons  and  under  all  sorts  of  trying  circumstances  that  could 
not  be  endured  except  for  that  inner  joy  of  the  Lord  that  gives 
strength  and  courage  and  good  cheer  to  the  heart  of  the  conse- 
crated evangelist. 

Dr.  Smith  was  highly  favored  of  heaven  in  his  wife,  Miss  Ella 
Reid,  who  thoroughly  sympathized  with  him  in  his  work  and 
was  always  a  true  helpmeet  from  the  Lord.  He  found  her  in  the 
manse  of  her  father — the  Rev.  R.  H.  Reid — who  was  Dr.  Smith's 
only  pastor  and  the  man  who  did  more  than  any  other  to  mould 
the  character  and  shape  the  life  of  this  great  mountain  evangelist. 

Ella  Reid  Smith  was  not  only  a  helpmeet  to  her  husband,  but 
she  was  also  a  mother  of  whom  it  can  be  said,  "her  children  arise 
up  and  call  her  blessed;  and  her  husband  also  praiseth  her." 

Their  children  are  three:    Mrs.  T.  A.  Walker  of  Charlotte,  N.  C. 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  43 

Bernard  R.  Smith,  M.  D.,  of  Asheville,  and  Julia,  the  wife  of  the 
Rev.  R.  D.  Bedinger,  D.  D.,  missionary  to  Africa. 

In  an  article  published  several  years  ago  Dr.  S.  L.  Morris,  our 
General  Assembly's  Executive  Secretary  of  Home  Missions,  said: 
"In  all  the  Presbyterial  Home  Mission  work  of  the  Assembly  there 
is  none  that  excels  that  of  Asheville  Presbytery.  Its  record  is  in 
large  measure  explained  by  the  fact  that  it  has  pursued  a  definite 
policy  and  has  had  its  operations  directed  by  a  superintendent  who, 
in  the  language  of  the  street,  "is  on  the  job."  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
are  still  "on  the  job"  and  at  home  to  their  friends  in  Asheville, 
N.  C,  48  Dunstan  Road. 


Shelby  School 


From  the  days  of  John  Knox,  if  not  earlier,  our  Scotch  forebears 
held  that  the  Church  and  the  school  should  go  together,  and  so  as 
we  have  found  there  was  a  school  in  each  of  the  older  and  larger 
churches  of  this  Piedmont  section;  such  as  Olney,  Long  Creek, 
Lincolnton,  Kutherfordton  and  Shelby. 

Concerning  these  schools  we  cannot  now  speak  particularly. 
Reference  has  been  made  in  these  sketches  to  all  except  the  school 
at  Shelby.  For  information  in  regard  to  this  last  I  am  indebted 
to  Judge  R.  L.  Ryburn.  When  Shelby  was  a  village  of  some  eight 
hundred  people,  the  Rev.  McNeill  Turner,  from  Mills  River,  near 
Brevard,  N.  C,  came  and  opened  a  Boy's  School  in  the  building 
afterward  known  as  the  Shelby  Female  College  and  now  the 
Victor  Hotel.  The  first  year  of  the  school,  which  was  probably 
1870,  there  were  125  boys  in  attendance.  They  found  board  in  the 
homes  of  the  community  at  from  $6  to  $8  per  month.  So  soon 
after  the  war  a  large  number  of  parents  were  attracted  by  the 
cheap  rates  for  the  education  of  their  boys  in  a  school  of  high 
grade.  The  boys  came  in  increasing  numbers  from  many  parts 
of  North  Carolina  and  of  South  Carolina  also.  They  were  a  re- 
markably fine  gathering  of  boys.  They  were  advertised  in  the 
North  Carolina  Presbyterian  as  "From  Dan  to  Beersheba."  The 
school  did  not  continue  many  years,  because  Dr.  Turner  was  not 
so  good  a  financier  as  he  was  a  teacher.  He  was  a  very  tall, 
distinguished  looking  man  of  striking  individuality,  strong  men- 
tality and  bitter  prejudices.  He  was  assisted  in  his  school  by  his 
two  sons  and  one  or  two  other  teachers.     They  did  excellent  work. 


Westminster 


These  schools  served  excellent  ends  and  not  the  least  was  the 
inspiration  they  gave  a  small  group  of  Presbyteian  preachers  of 
Cleveland,  Eutherford  and  Pork  Counties  to  establish  in  their 
section  of  the  state  a  school  of  high  grade  where  boys  and  girls 
of  moderate  means  could  obtain  a  good  education  at  small  cost 
and  under  the  very  best  Christian  influences. 

This  group  consisted  of  Reverends  W.  R.  Minter,  R.  C.  Morrison, 
S.  L.  Cathey,  and  T.  C.  Croker.  Each  of  these  ministers  had 
several  churches  under  his  charge  and  also  more  than  one  mission 
point  in  outlying  districts.  They  preached  several  times  every  week, 
traveled  long  distances  over  primitive  roads  and  through  all  kinds 
of  inclement  weather  to  meet  their  appointments.  In  the  vast 
territory  served  by  them  there  were  only  12  Presbyterian  churches 
with  a  total  of  648  members  and  most  of  these  of  very  moderate 
means. 

Under  these  discouraging  conditions  these  four  men,  already 
overloaded  with  work,  but  with  the  faith  that  counts  nothing  im- 
possible and  the  courage  that  conquers  all  difficulties,  proceeded 
to  establish  the  Westminister  School.  It  was  an  adventure  of 
faith  possible  only  to  men  who  are  heroes  at  heart. 

With  the  opening  of  the  year  1902,  they  were  busy  with  plans 
and  then  came  the  erection  of  buildings  and  providing  the  neces- 
sary equipment  and  securing  a  principal  who  would  have  charge 
of  the  work,  when  the  school  opened  in  September. 

Some  members  of  the  Brittain  church,  of  which  the  Rev.  R.  C. 
Morrison  was  pastor,  donated  the  land.  Early  in  July  there  was  a 
great  meeting  at  Brittain  church.  Men  came  in  large  numbers 
with  their  tools  to  clear  the  ground  and  erect  the  necessary  build- 
ings. The  women  were  there  with  bright  faces  and  well  filled 
baskets  and  words  of  cheer.  Dr.  W.  J.  Martin,  of  Davidson  College, 
was  there  and  other  speakers  to  arouse  enthusiasm  with  their 
"eloquent  outpouring  of  words  that  breathe  and  thoughts  that 
burn."    It  was  a  great  day  and  long  remembered. 

The  girls  dormitory,  known  as  Knox  Hall,  and  the  dining  room 


46  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

and  the  kitchen  and  a  number  of  cottages  for  boys  were  soon 
completed  and  ready  for  the  formal  opening  of  the  school  on  the 
morning  of  September  16,  1902.  Mr.  J.  R.  Sandifer,  a  graduate 
of  Davidson  College,  and  later  head  master  of  Blue  Ridge  Academy, 
was  secured  for  the  first  principal.  He  served  one  year,  was  ably 
assisted  by  a  choice  corps  of  teachers  and  did  fine  work.  The  at- 
tendance was  gratifying  and  the  outlook  very  encouraging. 

Mr.  W.  Brand,  of  Virginia,  was  secured  to  succeed  Mr.  Sandifer 
as  principal.  He  was  a  man  of  high  character,  of  energy  and 
executive  ability.  During  his  two  years  of  service  the  large  brick 
administration  building  was  erected,  and  the  popularity  of  the 
school  was  increased.  He  was  ably  assisted  by  a  choice  corps  of 
teachers,  including  for  his  second  year  Mr.  J.  C.  Rowan,  now  Dr. 
Rowan,  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Concord,  N.  C. 
Families  from  other  communities  began  to  settle  near  the  school 
to  secure  for  their  children  its  splendid  educational  advantages. 
Mr.  Brands  very  successful  administration  was  terminated  by  his 
tragic  death  in  his  father's  flour  mill  in  1904. 

Rev.  W.  R.  Minter,  now  Dr.  Minter,  pastor  of  the  First  Southern 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Austin,  Texas,  was  induced  to  take  the 
important  place  of  principal  of  the  Westminster  School.  He  was 
one  of  the  four  men  chiefly  responsible  for  its  existence,  and  his 
faith  in  its  future  never  faltered.  He  was  a  man  of  large  vision, 
of  tireless  energy,  of  executive  ability,  and  heroic  courage.  Under 
his  efficient  administration  every  department  of  the  school  was 
advanced;  many  improvements  were  made  in  the  equipment;  a 
large  increase  of  students  was  secured.  The  school  was  every 
way  in  a  flourishing  condition,  when  Mr.  Minter  (1906)  resigned 
to  give  his  whole  time  to  the  pastorate.  He  was  fortunate  in  hav- 
ing for  assistant  principal  Mr.  W.  B.  Painter,  a  worthy  co-worker. 

In  1907  the  Presbytery  of  Kings  Mountain  took  over  this  school 
as  a  Home  Mission  enterprise,  and  Rev.  G.  T.  Pace  was  elected 
principal  with  Mr.  C.  B.  Collier  as  his  assistant.  Mr.  Pace  retired 
after  a  few  months  of  service  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  R. 
C.  Morrison,  pastor  of  the  Brittain  Church,  and  one  of  the  four 
original  founders  of  the  school.  He  had  from  the  first,  in  addition 
to  the  labors  of  a  large  pastorate,  taught  a  course  in  the  Bible 
and  this  he  continued  to  do  until  he  ceased  to  be  pastor  of  this 
church.  Mr.  Morrison's  administration  was  marked  by  great 
energy  and  efficiency.     He  had  for  assistant  principal  Mr.  R.  G. 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  47 

Long.  Like  his  able  predecessor,  Dr.  Minter,  he  resigned  at  the 
close  of  the  school  year  in  1909  to  give  his  whole  time  to  the 
pastorate. 

That  same  year  (1909)  the  Rev.  J.  K.  Hall,  of  McConnellsville, 
S.  C,  was  elected  principal  and  served  with  great  ability  for  two 
years,  when  like  his  two  predecessors,  he  resigned  to  give  his 
whole  time  to  the  pastorate.  His  administration  was  marked  by 
large  growth  and  some  important  changes.  The  boarding  depart- 
ment for  girls  was  discontinued  under  an  agreement  with  Meck- 
lenburg Presbytery  that  the  Kings  Mountain  Presbytery  would 
urge  girls  to  attend  the  Albemarle  Institute  and  the  Mecklenburg 
Presbytery  would  urge  boys  to  attend  the  Westminster  School. 
Concord  Presbytery  gave  the  Westminster  school  its  hearty  en- 
dorsement and  the  Bethel  Presbytery  of  S.  C.  also  became  very 
much  interested.  At  one  time  there  were  more  boarding  pupils 
from  Bethel  than  from  any  other  Presbytery.  During  1909  and 
1910  the  boarding  department  was  utterly  inadequate.  Although 
there  was  a  large  dormitory  and  five  cottages  it  became  necessary 
to  crowd  three  boys  in  a  room.  This  crowded  condition  was  re- 
lieved by  the  erection  of  a  fireproof  brick  dormintory  with  twenty- 
four  rooms,  and  by  doubling  the  capacity  of  the  dining  room 
and  building  a  large  store  room.  A  water  system  was 
installed  so  that  water  was  brought  to  all  parts  of  the 
campus,  and  considerable  land  was  bought  to  protect  the  school 
from  possible  nuisances.  During  the  first  year  of  Mr.  Hall's  ad- 
ministration Mr.  J.  W.  Weathers,  now  Rev.  J.  W.  Weathers,  of 
S.  C,  was  assistant  principal  and  athletic  director.  During  the 
second  year  Mr.  J.  R.  Hay,  now  Rev.  J.  R.  Hay,  pastor  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Hickory,  was  assistant  principal  and  Mr. 
J.  R.  Reid,  now  of  Rock  Hill,  S.  C,  was  professor  of  mathematics 
and  athletic  director.  The  enrollment  this  year  was  the  largest  in 
the  history  of  the  school  up  to  this  time.  Boys  came  from  several 
states  and  from  one  foreign  country,  but  the  great  majority  were 
from  the  Carolinas. 

It  was  the  idea  of  the  founders  of  this  school  to  provide  first 
class  educational  advantages  at  the  lowest  possible  cost  as  is 
evident  from  the  school  catalogues.  I  quote  from  the  year  1903-1904 
as  follows:  "Board  per  month  $4.85.  Tuition  $1  to  $3.  Contin- 
gent Fee  boarding  pupil  20c;  day  pupil  5c.  Washing  and  lights 
about  20c.  Total  per  month  exclusive  of  books  and  clothes  $8.70." 
This  meant  about  $78  for  nine  months.  Cheapness  was  due  to  low 
prices  for  food  articles.     When  prices  for  food  were  raised  the 


48  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

cost  per  pupil  for  nine  months  in  1909-1910  was  only  $100.  Dur- 
ing these  years  of  low  cost  for  education  all  bills  were  paid 
promptly  and  no  debts  incurred. 

This  is  a  remarkable  record  and  abundantly  justifies  the  vision 
and  faith  and  courage  of  those  noble  men  who  dared  to  grapple 
with  difficulties  and  to  conquer.  They  have  rendered  fine  service 
for  the  Master  in  other  places,  but  it  may  be  doubted  if  they 
have  anywhere  rendered  a  better  service  or  shown  more  beautifully 
the  heroic  spirit  of  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  than  when  they  launch- 
ed and  made  a  success  of  the  Westminster  School. 

The  Rev.  E.  T.  P.  Woods  followed  Rev.  J.  K.  Hall  as  principal 
of  the  school  and  was  in  charge  from  1911  to  1921.  For  several 
years  the  popularity  and  prosperity  of  the  school  continued,  but 
owing  to  economic  and  educational  changes  in  the  country  and 
other  causes  the  last  years  of  Mr.  Wood's  administration  were 
more  trying  and  less  satisfactory  than  formerly.  Improvements 
were  made  in  the  equipment  and  several  attractions  were  added, 
but  the  adverse  conditions,  especially  the  new  developmnt  of  the 
Public  High  School  System,  made  seriouly  against  the  continued 
success  of  .Westminster. 

Since  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Woods  in  1921,  those  in  authority 
have  failed  to  secure  a  suitable  principal  for  the  school  up  to  this 
writing. 

Whatever  may  be  its  future  those  who  put  their  money  and  those 
who  put  their  hearts  blood  into  this  enterprise  have  abundant 
reason  for  thanksgiving  and  praise  to  God  in  view  of  the  great 
good  that  has  been  accomplished  through  this  institution.  Hun- 
dreds of  boys  and  girls  have  been  well  fitted  for  life  who  other- 
wise would  probably  never  have  received  a  Christian  education. 
Scores  of  splendid  pupils  have  here  received  the  inspiration  and 
the  necessary  ambition  to  achieve  a  college  education  and  fit  them- 
selves for  service  in  the  largest  fields  of  church  and  state.  All 
who  were  enrolled  in  this  school  were  brought  into  contact  with 
active  Christian  teachers  and  under  Christian  influences  that 
drew  them  to  the  Christ  and  enlisted  them  in  His  service. 

SOME  STUDENTS 

Students  from  Westminster  School  are  found  in  many  walks  of 
life  and  always  acquitting  themselves  with  credit  to  their  friends 
and  their  teachers.     Among  those  who  have  entered  the  ministry 


SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS  49 

of  the  Gospel  are  the  following:  C.  C.  Beam,  T.  G.  Tate,  W.  A. 
Benfield,  C.  H.  Rowan,  J.  F.  Menius,  N.  P.  Farrior,  L.  Cook  Camp- 
bell, E.  S.  Watson,  W.  H.  Wilson,  W.  C.  Rourk,  R.  E.  McClure, 
W.  C.  Cumming,  D.  H.  Rhinehardt  and  J.  M.  Barber,  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church;  Spurgeon  Norville,  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  others. 
Among  business  men  are  the  following:  C.  C.  Armstrong,  of 
Gastonia;  J.  Clyde  Ford,  of  Clover,  S.  C;  Frank  Oates,  of  Ruther- 
fordton;  W.  T.  Hall,  of  Belmont.  Atwood  Wherry,  of  Chester,  S.  C, 
and  many  other.  Among  doctors  are  the  following:  the  late  W.  C. 
Oates,  of  Belmont;  H.  K.  Morrison,  and  Sarah  J.  Long,  who  re- 
cently graduated  with  the  highest  honors  from  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Michigan.  Among  teachers  are  the 
following:  C.  T.  Stewart,  of  Brazil;  R.  W.  Morrison  and  Mrs. 
Corel  Long  Morrison.  Time  would  fail  to  mention  all  the  wives 
and  mothers  who  have  made  and  are  making  fine  Christian  homes 
for  the  nurture  of  the  best  elements  of  citizenship  in  the  State 
and  in  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

TRUSTEES 

Perhaps  the  most  appropriate  conclusion  for  this  sketch  of  the 
Westminster  School  would  be  a  list  of  the  names  of  those  faithful 
trustees  who  gave  of  their  time  and  thought  and  labor  and  money 
to  make  the  school  the  success  that  it  became,  and  without  whose 
wisdom  and  support  the  good  achieved  could  never  have  been 
attained.  They  each  deserve  a  special  mention,  which  would  be 
gladly  given  if  the  limits  of  this  paper  did  not  forbid.  Their 
names  are  as  follows:  Rev.  R.  C.  Morrison,  Rev.  W.  R.  Minter, 
Rev.  S.  L.  Cathey,  Rev.  R.  A.  Miller,  Rev.  G.  A.  Sparrow,  Rev. 
R.  C.  Anderson,  Rev.  J.  H.  Henderlite,  D.  D,  Rev.  J.  T.  Dendy,  G. 
W.  Long,  of  Brittain  Church;  H.  L.  Carpenter  and  J.  F.  Flack, 
of  Rutherfordton;  A.  C.  Miller,  R.  L.  Ryburn  and  L.  A.  Getty,  of 
Shelby.  J.  P.  Roberts,  of  Grover;  C.  E.  Neisler,  of  Kings  Mountain; 
J.  H.  Kennedy,  of  Gastonia.  Mr.  Flack  was  for  a  long  time  the 
treasurer  of  the  school  board  and  bore  the  brunt  of  the  building 
operations. 

All  honor  to  these  and  such  like  men.  May  their  memories 
never  perish  from  among  the  living  and  their  spiritual  offspring 
increase  while  the  years  are  going  by.  May  they  find  great  com- 
fort and  satisfaction  in  remembering  that  they  had  a  part  in  build- 
ing a  factory  "that  receives  the  raw  material  from  the  church, 


50  SOME  PIONEER  PRESBYTERIAN  PREACHERS 

multiplies  its  value  a  hundred  fold  and  returns  it  in  a  life  giving 
stream  of  intelligent  faith,  trained  power,  and  consecrated  leader- 
ship." 

They  who  build  a  Christian  educational  institution  build  for 
eternity  and  reap  a  harvest  of  felicity  and  glory  that  eternity  alone 
can  measure. 


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